Scar Tissue

In a recent Daily Mail column, Tom Utley advises readers to lift their mood by awarding themselves an imaginary £10 every time the phrase ‘mental health’ is mentioned by the media, before bemoaning how everyone from criminals to athletes use the topic as an “all-purpose, get-out-of-jail-free card” for their lives’ woes. The population, he laments, has become incapable of expressing any negative emotion without “complaining about the irritant’s adverse impact on his or her mental health”.

Some will argue Utley has a point. Others will argue the Daily Mail is the last place to turn for a balanced opinion on any subject even remotely bordering on progressive, including mental health care (a study published by the International Journal of Health Policy and Management concluded conservatives are more likely to stigmatise mental suffering than those with liberal leanings). However, accusations of closed-mindedness could hardly be levelled at Vice’s youth culture magazine, i-D, who have a piece cautioning against making mental illness hip.

Writer Alyson Zetta Williams notes that with mental illness diagnoses dramatically on the rise for 18- to 25-year-olds, “the trend of falsely portraying the mentally ill experience threatens the already fragile wellbeing of more young people than ever before”. In the same article, mental health professional Aditi Verma warns against romanticised depictions of mental illness, or “beautiful suffering”, as it’s often portrayed online, while a 20-year-old student tells the publication that when told by their psychiatrist they were experiencing bipolar symptoms, their first thought was, “Damn, this isn’t even one of the cool ones.”

“An irony of the pandemic is that it has affected all of society, making the resulting mental health issues easier for everyone to discuss.”

FEELING DOWN, ON THE UP

The New Zealand Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora warns that, in line with other developed nations, “rates of mental distress appear to be rapidly increasing” and that “mental health trends and socio-economic disadvantages may be having worsening impacts on teens”. In 2021, a study by UK university admissions charity UCAS revealed there to have been a 450% increase in student mental health declarations over the previous decade. But could mental health issues really have increased up to an astonishing four-and-a-half-fold in just 10 years? And if so, how? Or could younger generations be confusing  regular life struggles with emotional distress, choosing to lean on the mental health crutch at the expense of fostering mental resilience?

“I really don’t think that young people are any less resilient today,” says Auckland University Associate Professor Kerry Gibson, PhD, a clinical psychologist, and author of What Young People Want from Mental Health Services. “Aside from the obvious stresses of climate change and economic hardships of studying, and saving for a house, there are pressures that are far more subtle. It might seem as though the world is wide open and that youngsters can have anything, but there are a lot of restrictions, and they really buy into the idea of being responsible for the choices they make.”

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

Kerry recalls an analogy about how in times past the journey from adolescence to adulthood was like a train on tracks with stations you could stop at, whereas now that same route is akin to being given the keys to a fast car but with no roadmap. The psychologist talks of an environment of ‘toxic positivity’, the prevailing notion that we must be happy, so rather than explore feelings of negativity, we counter others’ distress with well-intentioned false reassurances, rather than empathy.     

“The media representation of mental health makes it seem like we’re talking about mental health way more than we actually are,” she continues. “But so often it’s just lip service. Young people feel it’s harder than ever to be heard. An irony of the pandemic is that it has affected all of society, making the resulting mental health issues easier for everyone to discuss.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the mental health impacts of the pandemic will be “long term and far-reaching”, announcing towards the end of last year that the world had missed most of its mental health targets for 2020. While demand for support rose, 93% of countries around the world halted their critical mental health services. 

But even pre-pandemic, the situation already appeared to be worsening. A 2019 study by the American Psychological Association concluded the percentage of young Americans experiencing certain types of mental health disorders to have “risen significantly over the past decade” but with “no corresponding increase in older adults”.   

Study lead author Jean Twenge, PhD, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, and author of the book, iGen, argues the trend is at least partly down to the digital age, with youngsters also often getting less sleep and less exercise than previous generations – issues that are all obviously linked.

While being “no defender of social media”, Kerry believes its effects are exaggerated and that it’s too easy a target that prevents us from tackling difficult truths: “Bullying, racism, and a desperate desire to present a perfect image all happen in the real world, too.” 

And did so before we were all ‘connected’.

“Bullying, racism, and a desperate desire to present a perfect image all happen in the real world, too.” 

GROWTH FROM PAIN?

I ask Kerry if it’s necessary to experience certain levels of hardship in order to reinforce our coping capabilities.  

“Many people do feel strengthened and more resilient following traumatic episodes, but it won’t be the same for everyone. While some rise to those challenges, for others, it can simply be too much. A lot has to do with background, what kind of emotional or material wells we have to draw from. 

“The notion of resilience is thrown around a lot, but it’s very misleading, that idea that everyone can just tap into inner reserves of it. Of course, there are skills we can learn, such as mindfulness, to enhance resilience, but that only works once people’s basic foundational needs have been taken care of.” 

We develop many of those skills with age, too?

“Absolutely, but such statements can also be damaging and negate the struggles that youths face. Many ongoing adult mental health problems take root during adolescence.” 

There are simply no hard and fast rules around mental health, continues Kerry, aside from it being essential to seek help “before it all becomes unbearable”.

“If you are so distressed that it’s affecting your ability to function day to day then it’s time to talk. But not everything needs a professional: loved ones, friends, and partners can all help. But if that’s not enough, call a helpline or contact your GP.”