re: Why has mental health declined so much over the years?

1) Sometimes mental health issues are genetically inherited. It was less likely for those people to breed in the older days. Now medications and greater acceptance have more "mentally unwell" genes in the population.

2)Our society has become extremely anxiety ridden which affects most people's mental health:
News media constantly telling you the end of the world is nigh.

Social media exacerbating political and social partisanship. Social media 's accentuation of acceptance- ie "likes."

Education has become politicized and pushes anxiety and casts the parents as villains. Kids don't do well when their parents aren't role models.

Also. too many parents are actually the opposite of role models. You can't have a high functioning society where 37 year olds refer to doing normal things as "adulting."

The screwed up thing is that the high anxiety itself is largely what creates the self fulfilling prophesies of social destruction and disaster.

We took God out of schools and women out of the homes.

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Has it really declined or has our ability to recognize it and accept that it’s a reality changed?

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I believe its objectively declined, primarily illustrated by people's inability to cope with very menial things. It seems to be the menial things that cause the most collective anxiety.

I also think social media has rewarded neurotic behavior, which has led to an increase.

Pharma likes money and doesn't give a shite about people's health.

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Because comparison is the thief of joy

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True, but nowadays it's so hard to avoid comparisons. Even if you don't use social media, you go on Yahoo to check your email and you see nonstop "news" coverage on the home page of celebrities living the easy life and it's not hard to get into that depressing mindset of "Looks like they're having fun while I work away in my 9-5."

I think for me, the bigger issue, even beyond social media, is the idolization of celebrities in our current day and age.

Look at the Kardashians for instance. You watch them, with their luxurious lifestyle and lavish homes, meanwhile you're living in a small apartment and struggling to pay rent. It's easy to see why others get depressed after watching that.

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tigerinthebueche

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I think we have to make a distinction between how many people are suffering from mental health issues and how many people report suffering from mental health issues.

My guess is actual suffering is probably fairly consistent with historical levels. People are just a lot more likely to report it now.

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SaintlyTiger88

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Look on your phone and tell us how much screen time you are having. That's a good start. I am much happier when I dont have my phone on me or I'm not looking at it to try to get a dopamine hit.