Headway Report on Mental Health: damaging the planet means damaging human health

Catastrophes of unimaginable scale have dominated the headlines in 2022 so far: from the war in Ukraine to record-breaking heatwaves, wildfires, and mass floodings to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has not had time to breathe and reset at all this year. What many of us feared has now been shown in the new Headway report on mental health titled ‘Headway: A new roadmap in Mental Health’: these tragedies are seriously affecting the global community’s mental health!?

The Headway report is part of an initiative by The European House-Ambrosetti and Angelini Pharma which was originally launched in 2017 to create a multidisciplinary platform to analyze, discuss and ultimately tackle mental conditions across Europe. The latest publication compares the status of people’s mental health in 27 EU countries and the UK and assesses the ability of those nations to respond to mental health needs across various sectors. Recognizing that our mental health is not just determined by individual and behavioral factors (such as gender or age) or socio-economic characteristics (such as education or employment status), this year’s report also looks at environmental determinants of mental health (EDHs). These EDHs can include various factors relating to our natural environment, for example, hours of daylight or average temperature in a country. Furthermore, they also cover our built environment, taking into account aspects like housing conditions, road traffic or crime, conflicts and migration.?

Reviewing the insights from the report related to those EDHs is painting a grim picture for mental health in Europe and points to an urgent need for action: Increased mortality, impulsive and aggressive behaviors, and higher suicide rates are the most alarming effects of climate change on people’s mental health. In particular, young and indigenous people as well as those living with pre-existing vulnerabilities, cognitive/mobility impairments or those living in poverty are expected to be most affected. The publication also emphasizes that people who are exposed to certain air pollutants such as PM2.5 and NO2 are more likely to experience mental health problems, especially anxiety. While there is a large variability in the EU regarding the percentage of people exposed to these pollutants, ranging from 4.8% of the population in Estonia to 19.6% in Bulgaria, it is worrying that, on average, 12% of EU citizens fall into this category and are at risk of mental health problems. Another important category of environmental determinants of people’s mental health is noise pollution, with the report showing that people living in high-traffic areas are 25% more likely to develop depression. I could list many more examples from the rich data collection of the Headway report – but the simple message is clear: we need to act!

In a few days, on 10 October 2022, the world will be commemorating World Mental Health Day and the World Federation for Mental Health is urging the global community to “Make Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority”. Reading the alarming insights from the Headway report, I couldn’t agree more with this plea! We will only be able to fight the unacceptable status quo of mental health globally if we combine our efforts to support those that need it most and tackle the underlying issues together. The Headway report shows how many different factors play a role in the status of people’s mental health and how complex the areas are that we need to address. We can only be successful if the global community works hand in hand and if we support people’s mental health in the same way as their physical health.

I am in the privileged position to lead a company that’s focused on brain health. Together with our Angeliners and many partners across the world, we are working tirelessly to improve the quality of life for those living with mental health conditions. The results of the Headway report sadly highlight why this work is needed, but they also motivate me to keep our work going and contribute to making mental health and well-being for all a global priority. The publication, as well as the Headway initiative behind it, is designed to create a platform for dialogue and discussion and that’s why I invite you to read through it and reach out to me with your questions, comments, or thoughts!