Mental illness: is there really a global epidemic?

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/03/mental-illness-is-there-really-a-global-epidemic

Rice-Oxley, Mark. (June 3, 2019) Mental illness: is there really a global epidemic?. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/03/mental-illness-is-there-really-a-global-epidemic (Accessed June 10, 2019)

This article is addressing the seemingly rising trend of mental illness globally. In terms of data, this field is a bit difficult to study due to the fact that researchers have been predominantly relying on self-reported surveys, which may not be completely accurate depictions of their emotional states. Nonetheless, the data in this article is derived from the Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation (2017). Rice-Oxley finds that it is not necessarily true that rates of mental illness are drastically rising. However, with more education and destigmatization, people are more willing to seek the assistance of professionals in the field. Therefore, more young people are admitting signs of mental distress. The DALY metric shows that wealthy countries are still at the forefront of mental illness, with the United States in fourth place. In terms of public health strategies, it is important to recognize that we still need more professionals and more education, even in the United States, on this topic in order to assist people in alleviating their symptoms. There are not enough mental health professionals around the world, especially in more disadvantaged countries. I agree with the author of this article in terms of the data because people with mental illnesses have faced incredible amounts of stigma in the past, and it still hasn’t completely dissipated. It is difficult to compare the level of mental illness in the present with that of the past because it went unreported for so long. Plus, it also makes sense that it would slightly rise as our populations have also expanded. The author was thorough, in this case, because he briefly defined the major mental illnesses and described their prevalence. He also touched upon various medications and their possible effects, especially compared to placebos. I wish there was more information on the ratio of mental health therapists and counselors per 100,000 people, as there was about psychiatrists and mental health beds, because they represent another form of treatment. It could be interesting to see how rates of mental illness change over time as treatment options expand. This article may be difficult for someone who does not come from a public health background because the author uses terms such as DALY with only a brief explanation, so it may be confusing for others to see the graphic on the DALYs and attempt to discern what exactly they represent. Overall, I trust this source because they seem to be getting their data from reputable organizations, such as the World Health Organization, Oxford University, and Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation. The author also references the DSM-5 when defining the mental illnesses, so he seems to be aware of the case definitions. It seems like the author did his research and presented us with information that would mostly be accessible to the common public.