Before Christmas I hosted a summit in partnership with Andover Mind to look at the problem of suicide in the local area and to raise awareness of metal health problems, particularly among the young.
This is a particularly difficult issue, especially for people who have lost someone dear. But it is also a pressing one. Modern life is becoming more stressful for many people. In homes and schools, social, technological and economic changes are coinciding to increase pressure on children and young adults in particular just when they are least able to cope with it. We also face the growing problem of loneliness amongst the elderly in our towns and villages.
Top of any campaigner’s agenda is of course more resources and, importantly, parity in the NHS between mental health and physical healthcare. But we shouldn’t forget the power of our community. Social interactions and interlocking friendships are more powerful than anything we can throw at the problem via the NHS. But when these interactions and processes take place online and are causing mental health issues in a structural way, no amount of NHS spending can solve the problem.
Instead, we have to recognise the sources of the problem and not shy away from inconvenient conclusions. It’s no coincidence that we are seeing an ever rising number of hospital admissions for self-harm and eating disorders among our children. Similarly an alarming number of primary school children have dieted or worry about their body image. Asking children to work harder and longer with higher and higher stakes and acting surprised when they crumble under the strain, raises some challenging questions about the best way for children to fulfil their potential.
We also need to think hard about the role of social media and the “compare-and-despair” merry-go-round going on every time a youngster glances at their smart phone. People of my generation didn’t face these challenges. They are new, and require us to work hard to give young people better ways of navigating these waters, helping them to develop the close and supportive real-world friendships that are the foundation of a happy life.