World Mental Health Day: A Small Step in a Larger Battle

Written by: Elyssa Morrison , VP Director of Strategy, MRM for Health

October 10th has been declared World Mental Health Day by the WHO, which sees today as an “opportunity to rekindle our efforts to protect and improve mental health.”  

It’s a small step in a much larger battle.  

We’ve all seen the headlines that read like warning signs (case in point: “The Next Global Pandemic: Mental Health”). And we know that access to mental healthcare is harder than ever. Waiting six weeks to see a physician for your annual physical is one thing; waiting six weeks when you’re in a mental health crisis can have deadly consequences. 

The recent MRM for Health global study — The Truth About Our Relationships With Health — made the urgency for action clear. Stress, anxiety, and mental health is not just a local issue, it’s a global issue: 

• Seven in 10 people worldwide are struggling or suffering in their lives.
• Americans reported rates of depression and anxiety six times higher than in 2019.
• 50% to 80% with mental health conditions are prone to sleeping problems, exacerbating the issues.

And many communities are reporting sharp rises in domestic violence and adolescent/teen suicide.   

• In the U.K. in 2020, almost 40% of adults met the clinical criteria for generalized anxiety, depression, or health anxiety.4  
• In Italy, 30% of the population showed signs of PTSD symptomology post-COVID-19.5  

 The stats are so sobering that Gallup has begun tracking stress (Global Stress Poll) separately from their annual Emotions Poll after seven years of steady increases have inflated the Negative Experiences Index.

In case you’re thinking that was the pandemic, surely it must be better now, The Wall Street Journal just reported that suicide rates rose in 2021 after two years of decline.   

And we’re all noticing it. Feeling it. Dealing with it. As a former mental health specialist and current strategist/mom/wife – heck, as a human right now – stressors in my life are more present than ever. I see the effects in my family; I see it in my co-workers (marketing and advertising in 2022 are not for the faint of heart). 

As a company that knows the importance of “living” health, my employer has followed the WHO’s lead and made today a global day off for employees, issuing a refreshing to-do list: step away from daily tasks, take time, and focus on mental health and wellbeing. 

In the aforementioned Truth Study, we’ve chronicled the unique responsibility and opportunity brands have in providing solutions to our health and wellness gaps. And at MRM for Health, we’re proud to work with our client partners to deliver these solutions through the promise of technology, the power of creativity, and the connectivity of purpose-fueled platforms and experiences. Taking the time to check in with ourselves today will only allow us to make that work even stronger tomorrow. 

So, I hope many of you can do what my teammates and I will be doing on World Mental Health Day. Take a walk, touch base with yourself, focus on the mental wellness of your family and all your loved ones. Here’s to a small step in removing the stigmas around mental healthcare — and the continued pursuit of the giant leaps needed in easing access to healthcare — so that everyone has the opportunity to ‘live health’ day in and day out. 

References: 

1. Gallup World Poll, 2020 
2. Data from Statista, Euromonitor  
3. Data from Mental Health Foundation, Royal College of Psychiatrists, National Sleep Foundation, Mental Wellness Institute  
4. Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for action for mental health science, The Lancet 2020  
5. COVID-19 Pandemic in the Italian Population: Validation of a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire and Prevalence of PTSD Symptomatology, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020 
6. Gallup Global Emotions Report, 2021