NEW YORK, Oct 10 — Is stress one of the greatest problems of our time? Millions of people suffer from it worldwide, and the pandemic has added insult to injury, piling on a supplemental stress factor, according to a new international Ipsos poll for Headspace. In a recent survey 69 per cent of international respondents have felt more stressed since the beginning of the health crisis.
This survey was conducted among French, British and German internet users to coincide with World Mental Health Day on October 10. The findings of increased stress related to the pandemic are not surprising considering the social distancing and lockdown measures put in place as well as the economic crisis that has ensued.
Is mental health taboo?
World Health Organisation (WHO) data show that close to one billion people suffer from mental disorders, however, few people report these disorders. In France, more than half of the Ipsos survey respondents (57 per cent) do not talk about their mental health and do not intend to do so. It’s a similar story in Germany and the United Kingdom. Moreover, men seem to be even less vocal about it: 78 per cent of male French respondents don’t speak about their mental health and don’t plan to in the future, while 57 per cent of British and German male respondents feel the same way.
But could the covid-19 crisis prompt a change in this regard? Nothing is less certain, since only 6 per cent of those surveyed said they had spoken out about their mental health for the first time during the pandemic.
Solutions to feel better
Even if they aren’t vocally forthcoming about mental health disorders, the French try to take action to deal with them, with 68 per cent of French respondents saying that they intended to change their daily routine to better take care of their mental health. The survey also showed that one in three respondents started a meditation-related activity since the onset of the health crisis.
Almost half of the respondents (44 per cent) simply take a walk outside to feel better, while others prefer to read (38 per cent), speak with their relatives (38 per cent), cook (37 per cent), listen to music (37 per cent), exercise (35 per cent), garden (33 per cent), or tidy up their place (30 per cent).
While 73 per cent of French respondents consider themselves happy nonetheless, when the pollsters asked them if they considered that the French population was happy as a whole, 59 per cent believe the French population to be unhappy. British respondents responded in a similar fashion, while Germans were more positive, with 76 per cent feeling that they were personally happy, and 63 per cent feeling the German population as a whole to be.
This survey was conducted online by Ipsos for Headspace, between September 18 and 2020, among a representative sample of men and women aged between 16 and 75. (France = 1059, United Kingdom= 1096, Germany= 1100).
The World Health Organisation advocates action
In the lead up to Mental Health Day, today, October 10, the organisation has launched the “Move for mental health: let’s invest” campaign, calling for increased investment in mental health at all levels.
The WHO recently published a survey of 130 countries, which is “the first global data showing the devastating impact of covid-19 on access to mental health services and underscores the urgent need for increased funding,” stated the institution.
This survey, conducted between June and August 2020 worldwide, shows that the health crisis has led to the disruption or halting of critical mental health services in 93 per cent of countries surveyed. Meanwhile 30 per cent of the respondents reported disruptions to access for medications for mental, neurological and substance use disorders during that same period. The WHO is encouraging the global community to share the #MoveforMentalHeatlh hashtag on October 10. — AFP-Relaxnews
