At work, socially and even in the nuclear family – mother, father and children – and extended family – uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, grandparents – they are starting to get more and more openness to make the problems visible. mental health suffering worldwide, 5% of the adult population.
In the case of girls, boys and adolescents between 15 and 19 years old, this percentage increases as 10 to 20% of this population segment has a mental disorder such as depression, anxiety, anorexia or bulimia. It is “the fourth leading cause of illness and disability… and the fifteenth among those between the ages of 10 and 14. Anxiety is the ninth leading cause among adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19, and the sixth for those between the ages of 10 and 14. 14 “, says the World Health Organization (WHO).
However, there is still a lot of discrimination, stigma, prejudice, psycho-emotional violence and academic, work and social exclusion against people suffering from a mental disorder.
Regarding depression, according to the WHO, people who suffer from it experience sadness, irritability, a feeling of emptiness “or a loss of enjoyment or interest in activities, most of the day, almost every day [o]for at least two weeks.
Depression is a public health issue that needs to be made public so that the government, through the public health system, instructs mental health workers to diagnose it early and correctly so that the necessary measures can be taken to prevent it. from leading to suicide.
The foregoing, because the ultimate goal of the exercise of public power is to ensure the well-being of the entire population in an equal manner, without distinction or segregation. Every human being has the same value and is equal in dignity. However, the lack of financial resources to address the issue of mental health means that the population most at risk for its diagnosis and prevention is the population with limited economic resources.
The World Happiness Report, which was the ninth to be conducted in 2021 and took into account the effects of the pandemic of the SARS-Covid-19 virus, placed Mexico in 46th place, which compared to the years from 2017 to 2019, it was in place 23. This freefall is extremely worrying because they are a few years apart.
In general, Mexicans are cheerful, generous people who see life with good eyes — even when the weather is not the best. However, this has visibly changed. This is even reflected in the relationships that Mexicans have with each other socially.
It will suffice to mention that sadness is observed in the neighborhood in Mexico, because a politically strange environment is felt, dense, full of claims, some provoked by the executive, perhaps as a form of defense of the President of the Republic, against what he calls his “political opponents”. This defensive personal strategy with constant verbal transgressions contrasts with the need to live in an environment free of claims and violence, even among political actors, that directly affects civil society. There will be those who think there will come a time when they stop fighting and are permanently on the defensive.
Although sadness and depression are different words that should not be confused, because depression can be due to exogenous or endogenous factors, the truth is that prolonged sadness, if it is one of the causes of depression — exogenous factor—.
Among these permanent public demands are unemployment and a lack of economic resources to meet basic needs of a large section of the population.
“The expectation of not being able to cover the expenses of the month (subjective poverty indicator) affects 43.4% of the adult population, while 11.3% expressed uncertainty about it,” according to press release number 772/21, of the INEGI of 14 December 2021 corresponding to the “Results of the First National Survey of Self-Reported Wellness (ENBIARE) 2021”.
The said report shows that the “proportion of the population with symptoms of depression is 15.4% of the adult population” and that it is higher among women because it reaches 19.5%. This is a much higher percentage than the WHO indicated worldwide, which is 5% in adults and adolescents from 10 to 20 percent. Mexico is at the highest level in adolescents and 200 percent higher in the adult population than the world average.
The foregoing, without taking into account that 19.3% of the adult population has symptoms of severe anxiety and 31.3% of minimal anxiety or to some extent.
What is now of concern is the increase in suicides reported by INEGI, with measurements ranging from 1994 to 2020, in the first year referred to, 2,603 suicides were registered, by 2020, 7,896.
The table presented by the said Institute draws attention to the upward slope since 1994 when the first measurements were taken, without marking a maximum point, but rather a clear increase. Reaching nearly 8,000 deaths by suicide is a figure the government cannot ignore.
It is a privilege to have the gift of life and it cannot be seen in any other way. Life must be utilized and enjoyed because it has a lot to offer. Mexico in particular has a lot to give as a country.
Therefore, what should be done in this scenario? The first thing is not to stay crossed with your arms. The most important thing is public policies such as the practice of sports, access to culture, recreational areas and specialized care by mental health workers, to diagnose and prevent depression in Mexicans.
In parallel with public policies and even in their absence, personal and family activities such as exercise, listening to music or support networks must be taken to get out of depression.
One way UNAM has contributed to serving the country, in this aspect of the depression that the population suffers from, is through the Faculty of Psychology, which provides free psycho-emotional help through the Call Center, which was originally intended for the university. community but which is open to the general public, which can be found on the website of the said Faculty.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx