Is Politics Breaking Us?
In the minds of many, the culmination of the general election this month, after months of campaigning, party political broadcasts and election pledges, has taken us one step closer to “getting Brexit done” and finding some stability in government.
Others believe that the election was merely a formality and doesn’t bring us any closer to solving the problem.
The political divide in the UK has arguably not been this noticeable since Thatcher, but regardless of one’s political allegiances in the wake of the election, one thing is clear: the UK’s mental health is suffering.
Belle About Town spoke to Gerard Barnes, the CEO and Co-Founder of mental health treatment organisation Smart TMS about the wider impact of recent events on the nation’s mental health.
Gerard says: “The constant ambiguity and negativity around Brexit, not to mention three general elections in the last four years, has unquestionably contributed to the declining mental health of the UK. Earlier this year, a survey by the Mental Health Foundation revealed that 4 in 10 of us have experienced feelings of powerlessness, anger and anxiety as a direct result of Brexit. One in eight of us reported problems with our sleep pegged to our protracted extrication from the European Union, and one in five of us say the whole process has caused high levels of stress.
“Although the Election saga has now come to a close, the onslaught of political news stories is unlikely to abate any time soon. Since it happened, media outlets on both sides have continued to celebrate and commiserate the Election results, criticise the new government’s policies and make pessimistic predictions about what we can expect. Not to mention the fresh waves of Brexit doom and gloom that will arrive with force before we know it, as the January 31st deadline moves closer.”
And yet, whilst the current blitzkrieg of political reporting is at an all-time high, one must remember that stories of political turbulence have occupied space in our minds for years.
The Brexit saga began in 2016, and we have been confronted with a constant stream of negativity and political drama ever since – reports of poor mental health influenced by politics have only grown in the three years since the initial referendum announcement.
Gerard adds: “This growing issue coincides with research carried out by mental health treatment experts Smart TMS, which displays an overarching decline in the mental health of the UK in recent times. Their independent research has revealed that 1 in 4 Brits find themselves regularly cancelling plans so they don’t have to interact with other people, 1 in 4 Brits find basic functions (e.g. sleeping, showering) noticeably more difficult than they used to, and 17% of Brits now find that casual drinking regularly turns into binge drinking. Finally, and perhaps most worryingly, a staggering 1 in 3 Britons say that they no longer enjoy work as a result of Brexit and politics, as the implications have adversely effected their workplace.
“While the decline of the nation’s psychological state cannot be pinned on our politics alone, it is undeniable that the political landscape of recent years has placed unmanageable stress and tension on millions of people across the UK, and has certainly played a significant role in the mental health problems faced by many.”
While the trajectory of our politics cannot be avoided, it is of paramount importance that we examine and explore various methods of mental health treatment to ensure that that the UK’s citizens have the support they need to deal with such events.
“Treatment options such as TMS treatment, which are non-invasive and non-medicinal, are particularly effective as they minimise the potential for side effects and remove the potential of any drug-induced negative symptoms. If we can provide these treatments on a larger scale, it could revolutionise the approach to mental health treatment in this country and provide much-needed relief for millions of people struggling on a daily basis with a range of psychological issues.”
- Smart TMS was launched in 2015 by Gerard Barnes and Medical Director Dr. Leigh Neal, and has since grown to become the UK and Ireland’s leading provider of TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) therapy – a treatment for people suffering from the debilitating effects of depression, OCD, addictions and other mental health conditions.
