Dig deeper on health

The plethora of articles about the pervasive problems of mental health, be they about the police, paramedics, students, models, sportspeople, domestic violence victims and defence veterans among others, highlights that investing millions of dollars into better services may just be a tip of the iceberg solution.

What seems more significant is why these problems are affecting so many people across the socio-economic spectrum? Are the stresses of 21st century lifestyles impacting negatively on the well-being of our populace in a way that was not extant decades previously or are people just more comfortable in public disclosure of their problems?

While economic support is imperative in addressing these issues, our mental health professionals should examine and explore more rigorously why there is such an increase in these problems.

Many of those affected are not unemployed, abused or living in poverty and hardship, yet the issues proliferate nonetheless.

Understanding why is integral to ensure the health of our country.

May I suggest that those responsible for dealing with these problems look beyond the superficial manifestation of symptoms to the more profound, underlying causes to prescribe more than quick fixes.