s social isolation caused by COVID-19 lockdowns weighs on the public's mental health, suicide rates in Japan have spiked. In October 2020 alone, more people died of suicide than the entire year’s coronavirus death toll.
Japan is not alone in its loneliness crisis as the pandemic’s fallout continues. They have, however, formulated a unique response: appointing Tetsushi Sakamoto as "Minister of Loneliness" to oversee government policy for mental health and isolation. Innovative approaches like this will be necessary around the globe to prioritize mental health and overcome the isolating challenges of the loneliness crisis.
The World Health Organization conducted a mental health survey with respondents from over 130 countries, and their findings underscored a critical need for additional mental health funding. The report found that the pandemic has disrupted critical mental healthcare in 93% of countries, and that 60% of vulnerable populations — such as adolescents and the elderly — who received pre-pandemic care reported interrupted access to that care. More than one-third of individuals needing crisis care for seizures or substance abuse described disruptions to emergency services, and 30% of respondents reported disruptions in access for medications. Beyond existing patients, the pandemic has increased demand for mental health services amid the loss of jobs and social isolation.
Trends surrounding suicide are difficult to study and much of the pandemic’s effects are not yet known, but the New York Times suggests that significantly more US citizens considered ending their lives in 2020 than in recent years, with socio-economic pressures like job losses and isolation acting as possible triggers. Data from a national survey by the Center of Disease Control found that 40% of Americans reported symptoms of depression, anxiety or substance abuse, and 10% had serious suicidal ideation in the past thirty days. While the Times notes that overall suicides fell in states like Maryland and Connecticut, Black suicides soared, leading some experts to wonder if the racial and gendered disparities of COVID-19 could be a significant factor in mental health problems.
Regardless of the impacts of the last twelve months, the coronavirus has only exacerbated a worldwide and long-term crisis of psychiatric care and loneliness.
The United Nations explains that one in four people will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people. The UN reports that stigma, economic burdens, and inequality contribute to a cerebral crisis which is the number one cause of years lost due to disability.
Supply of mental health care services is often unable to meet the demand for those services. The American Psychiatric Association states that while neuropsychiatric disorders account for 10% of the global burden of disease, mental health workers account for only 1% of the global workforce. They also noted that 45% of the world’s population lives in nations with less than one psychiatrist for every 100,000 people.
Young people are also getting more stressed. The 2020 Deloitte Millennial Health Survey — conducted in over 20 nations before and 13 nations after the pandemic began — found that 48% of Gen Z and 44% of Millennials said they are stressed out most or all of the time. Climate change, familial wellbeing, financial wellbeing, health care, and career prospects were identified as major long-term concerns. Scarred by the economic downturn of 2008 and wounded by the 2020 recession, many young people have been unable to accrue wealth at the same rate as their predecessors and are unable to afford houses or gain stable jobs. Social media is also linked with disrupted sleep patterns, and platforms are designed addictively, leaving the most digitally-savvy generations with increased anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. Even as technology connects people, it often leaves them feeling alone.
Finding Solutions Together
In 2018, the Lancet commission on global mental health and sustainable development found that mental illness is increasing everywhere and could cost the world $16 trillion by 2030. Decreasing mental health stigma, the burdens of patients seeking care, and prioritizing mental health infrastructure in the coming decade are imperative in averting the price tag and tragedy accompanying it.
While the field of mental healthcare providers is expanding, the rate of training is expected to cause a shortage of 250,000 nurses by 2025 in the United States alone. Expanding psychiatric autonomy for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and increasing telepsychiatry options like videoconferencing therapy that have become vital amid the pandemic are promising solutions to the loneliness crisis. Integrating mental health care under the role of primary care physicians and incentivizing new professionals with student loan forgiveness are also international possibilities.
McLean Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, suggests that the technological toll on mental health can be improved if social media platforms curtail mass sharing functions, and if individuals self-monitor their mood as they browse social media and step away if they notice negative effects. Monitoring children’s social media and creating a routine for turning off technology and going to sleep were also recommended.
While economic turmoil, global health crises, and political strife have their own complex solutions, the World Health Organization has policy plans for the integration of mental health with health care, the creation of targeting workshops for policy creators and health providers, and human resource training for existing professionals.
The crisis of mental health and loneliness are far from over — and government officials like Japan’s Minister of Loneliness have a lot of work ahead of them — but innovative solutions show that people and nations are not alone in seeking help.
a global affairs media network
What Is the Loneliness Crisis and How Do We Fix It?
Photo by Simon Berger via Unsplash.
March 22, 2021
Social isolation due to COVID-19 lockdowns is causing a public mental health crisis. What steps can policymakers take to address the problem?
A
s social isolation caused by COVID-19 lockdowns weighs on the public's mental health, suicide rates in Japan have spiked. In October 2020 alone, more people died of suicide than the entire year’s coronavirus death toll.
Japan is not alone in its loneliness crisis as the pandemic’s fallout continues. They have, however, formulated a unique response: appointing Tetsushi Sakamoto as "Minister of Loneliness" to oversee government policy for mental health and isolation. Innovative approaches like this will be necessary around the globe to prioritize mental health and overcome the isolating challenges of the loneliness crisis.
The World Health Organization conducted a mental health survey with respondents from over 130 countries, and their findings underscored a critical need for additional mental health funding. The report found that the pandemic has disrupted critical mental healthcare in 93% of countries, and that 60% of vulnerable populations — such as adolescents and the elderly — who received pre-pandemic care reported interrupted access to that care. More than one-third of individuals needing crisis care for seizures or substance abuse described disruptions to emergency services, and 30% of respondents reported disruptions in access for medications. Beyond existing patients, the pandemic has increased demand for mental health services amid the loss of jobs and social isolation.
Trends surrounding suicide are difficult to study and much of the pandemic’s effects are not yet known, but the New York Times suggests that significantly more US citizens considered ending their lives in 2020 than in recent years, with socio-economic pressures like job losses and isolation acting as possible triggers. Data from a national survey by the Center of Disease Control found that 40% of Americans reported symptoms of depression, anxiety or substance abuse, and 10% had serious suicidal ideation in the past thirty days. While the Times notes that overall suicides fell in states like Maryland and Connecticut, Black suicides soared, leading some experts to wonder if the racial and gendered disparities of COVID-19 could be a significant factor in mental health problems.
Regardless of the impacts of the last twelve months, the coronavirus has only exacerbated a worldwide and long-term crisis of psychiatric care and loneliness.
The United Nations explains that one in four people will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people. The UN reports that stigma, economic burdens, and inequality contribute to a cerebral crisis which is the number one cause of years lost due to disability.
Supply of mental health care services is often unable to meet the demand for those services. The American Psychiatric Association states that while neuropsychiatric disorders account for 10% of the global burden of disease, mental health workers account for only 1% of the global workforce. They also noted that 45% of the world’s population lives in nations with less than one psychiatrist for every 100,000 people.
Young people are also getting more stressed. The 2020 Deloitte Millennial Health Survey — conducted in over 20 nations before and 13 nations after the pandemic began — found that 48% of Gen Z and 44% of Millennials said they are stressed out most or all of the time. Climate change, familial wellbeing, financial wellbeing, health care, and career prospects were identified as major long-term concerns. Scarred by the economic downturn of 2008 and wounded by the 2020 recession, many young people have been unable to accrue wealth at the same rate as their predecessors and are unable to afford houses or gain stable jobs. Social media is also linked with disrupted sleep patterns, and platforms are designed addictively, leaving the most digitally-savvy generations with increased anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. Even as technology connects people, it often leaves them feeling alone.
Finding Solutions Together
In 2018, the Lancet commission on global mental health and sustainable development found that mental illness is increasing everywhere and could cost the world $16 trillion by 2030. Decreasing mental health stigma, the burdens of patients seeking care, and prioritizing mental health infrastructure in the coming decade are imperative in averting the price tag and tragedy accompanying it.
While the field of mental healthcare providers is expanding, the rate of training is expected to cause a shortage of 250,000 nurses by 2025 in the United States alone. Expanding psychiatric autonomy for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and increasing telepsychiatry options like videoconferencing therapy that have become vital amid the pandemic are promising solutions to the loneliness crisis. Integrating mental health care under the role of primary care physicians and incentivizing new professionals with student loan forgiveness are also international possibilities.
McLean Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, suggests that the technological toll on mental health can be improved if social media platforms curtail mass sharing functions, and if individuals self-monitor their mood as they browse social media and step away if they notice negative effects. Monitoring children’s social media and creating a routine for turning off technology and going to sleep were also recommended.
While economic turmoil, global health crises, and political strife have their own complex solutions, the World Health Organization has policy plans for the integration of mental health with health care, the creation of targeting workshops for policy creators and health providers, and human resource training for existing professionals.
The crisis of mental health and loneliness are far from over — and government officials like Japan’s Minister of Loneliness have a lot of work ahead of them — but innovative solutions show that people and nations are not alone in seeking help.
