Pandemic Impact, Ban on Electric Shock Therapy & Teacher Resignations Affecting Young People
Good afternoon 👋
This week we learned that the Covid-19 pandemic has reportedly had a minimal impact on people’s mental health1 that ministers have called for a ban on electroconvulsive therapy in women2 and that the Great Resignation among teachers is having a negative affect on the mental health of young people3
Some surprise. Some not so much!
Let’s dive in…
Opinion 🗣️
It’s been an interesting week for mental health around the world. On one hand we see workplace statistic after workplace statistic that confirms what most of us social listeners hear: people are struggling. A great deal.
But then other research suggests that (maybe positively due to lowering stigma) that mental ill-health figures were largely stagnant throughout the pandemic.
What is clear, however, is the positive impact that local, niche-specific, communities ran by influential figures have on the mental health management of people.
I’ve seen it first hand over the last 2 years supporting Project Pitstop, a men’s social club for the motorbike community which regularly has 50 bikers in attendance who are all encouraged to open up and destress from daily life, with appropriate support on hand should an escalation be required.
Meeting people where they are, in places they’re comfortable with, with influential people in their community is the closest thing to a silver bullet.
Another one is the MAST (Men Actively Standing Together) program by Green Door Families. A local initiative to Dorset that opens up safe spaces free-of-charge for victims of domestic abuse who are struggling to cope and need that support.
From what I see, there are dozens if not hundreds more like this which is encouraging.
It’s too easy to hold perpetual pessimism with a system that’s so very broken and so unable to be fixed that’s letting down scores of people every day but the only possible way to overcome these challenges is to take ownership and act.
Top stories 📰
Global
Our lead story this week is a narrative-bending finding that the Covid-19 pandemic may not have taken as great a toll on the mental health of most people as earlier research has indicated, as a new study suggests.
The pandemic resulted in “minimal” changes in mental health symptoms among the general population, according to a review of 137 studies from around the world led by researchers at McGill University in Canada, and published in the British Medical Journal. Read more 🔗
United Kingdom
Members of UK Parliament have told The Independent journalists that they have serious concerns women are disproportionally given electroconvulsive therapy, and argued that patients are not properly notified of the treatment’s potential side effects.
Some patients have also reported that they weren’t asked to provide consent before it was administered. Read more 🔗
United States
Between Feb ‘20 and May ‘22, more than 300,000 educators resigned in the United States citing concerns over safety, burnout, and low pay, among other reasons.
As a result, gaps in critical youth support have widened, negatively affecting the mental health of adolescents and young adults.
While the reasons behind the so-called Great Resignation are complex and understandable, the timing couldn’t be worse, as America’s children and adolescents are experiencing a significant increase in mental health challenges, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading medical groups. Read more 🔗
Spotlight 🔍
Community
A new initiative from Bournemouth University called The University Retreat is now open to students between the ages of 16–25. Dubbed a “bespoke mental health space for students” who able to turn up unannounced, free of charge, from three university colleges in the local area.
NHS Dorset has provided funding for the service, operated by local Housing Association volunteers plus mental health professionals offering 1-2-1 or group sessions with crisis intervention too.
Company
JAAQ (pronounced ‘Jack’) burst onto the scene out of nowhere not long ago and they have certainly kept their promise to deliver relatable content from world leading experts and people with lived experience on common searched for subjects like ADHD, anxiety, depression and more.
Campaigner
The light shines on Alex Holmes this week for his dedication to providing helpful first-hand resources to his audiences in an easily digestible style and his buttery smooth voice helps too! Alex is a bibliotherapist and mindfulness-based therapeutic coach who is definitely worth a follow to brighten up your social media experience.
‘til next week!
Charlie Penwarden
Mental Health Consultant @ Behaveo.com
References
Source: Hall R. Covid’s effect on mental health not as great as first thought, study suggests. the Guardian. Published March 8, 2023. Accessed March 14, 2023.