When Micheal Brown, 28, lost his job six months ago, he began to show the first signs of anxiety. “While looking for new work I tried UberEats to keep up with my bills. I think there’s something physical about working in this emerging ‘gig economy’ that does you no good,” Micheal tells me over the phone. “For me it all fell apart pretty fast, and the mental breakdown I felt was a result of the isolation and lack of long-term security. I gradually stopped being able to function normally. I felt trapped and inadequate.”
As youth unemployment is rising, the majority of millennials believe the economy is not working for them. With news that depression is on the rapid upswing, especially among the young, it makes no sense to deny links between depression and the economy, fueled by growing worker insecurity. Although Micheal had been visiting a therapist, he felt that his experience of mental health problems was not taken seriously. “She discharged me and told me that I was healthy and need to keep myself busy with work. But actually I wasn’t better; I was just ashamed of opening up more.”
Eventually, Micheal got advice from a friend to volunteer at the local sanctuary, which provides basic help for homeless youth, and he has been confronting his depression ever since. “For me, it’s coming together, and the wellbeing I feel as a result of getting involved in my community. I saw a general improvement in my mental health. I’m learning to look at myself in a more positive light; it gave me a real sense of purpose and of course made new friends too.”
This wasn’t an isolated case; a cursory look at statistics for the US suggests that over 10 million adults aged 18 or older have had at least one major depressive episode. That’s about 4.2% of all US adults. According to the World Health Organization, over 450 million people globally have struggled with mental health issues. Yet, mental health is rarely debated in the political space. The intention is to depoliticize mental illness. By ignoring its pervasive nature in our society, mental health as an urgent political issue becomes invisible. Its causes — such as economic policies, social circumstances, and the erosion of communities — seamlessly go undetected.