Flourish eMag Dec 24 - final - Flipbook - Page 22
What do we
make of this?
Interven琀椀ons, funding models and educa琀椀on
aren’t working? Or rather, does the prevalence
of diagnoses suggest these things are working
as more people iden琀椀fy symptoms that would
previously have been suppressed, rejected,
ignored? Researchers have speculated that
the likely causes of the rise in mental
health may be due to several related
factors: increased awareness of mental
health condi琀椀ons and what drives them,
the prolifera琀椀on and sharing of diagnoses
through social media and a drama琀椀c increase
in screen 琀椀me, leading to greater isola琀椀on,
less ac琀椀vity and less down琀椀me for our brain
and sensory system. (Foulkes,L; Andrews,J
(2023) and Haidt, J(2024)). These causes sit
alongside other factors including lower access
to services, living condi琀椀ons and employment
status. (AIHW: 2023).
Irrespec琀椀ve of the cause, for many su昀昀ering
from a mental health condi琀椀on, a diagnosis can
provide a huge relief, especially at the more
severe end of presenta琀椀on where an individual
can be le昀琀 broken and unable to func琀椀on in
normal life. Medica琀椀on, talking therapy and
other supports have helped many Australians
lead more func琀椀onal lives in way that was
unimaginable only two genera琀椀ons ago. (AIHW;
2023).
But what about the millions of others whose
mental health has deteriorated but have not
sought speci昀椀c assessment or support? How
do they func琀椀on and navigate their way
through the plethora of well-inten琀椀oned
o昀昀erings targe琀椀ng wellness, wellbeing,
happiness, spiritual enrichment, joy and
contentment? What does their ‘journey of
recovery’ look like and is it working?
