Tony Blair on mental health

The rush to pathologise emotions undermines mental health services and leaves people less equipped to cope. Tony Blair’s comments might sting, but he’s made an important point. After decades in mental health, I’ve seen how over-diagnosing life’s struggles erodes resilience and overwhelms services meant for real trauma. Not every challenge is a disorder, and teaching people how to navigate life’s tough moments is just as critical as treating those in crisis. Mental health care should build strength, not just slap on labels.

This is in part due to greater awareness of such conditions and people being more comfortable talking about this and seeking help.
Covid 19 exacerbated these problems due to social isolation rules and decreased interaction and the general feeling of fear created by official institutions.
However, I never thought I would say this, but I do agree with Tony Blair that an increased sense of learned hopelessness and an expectation that life should always be rosy have contributed to this rise as well.
In the past the vicissitudes of life were taken as granted and individuals learned to cope with them.
Now the instant gratification culture and “why me” mentality mean that people don’t expect to experience any hardship and, if they do, want a quick fix.
We need to build resilience in society and this comes from
a) Accepting things will not always go as planned.
b) Foster more community spirit.
c) Encourage and educate people on how to deal with life’s ups and downs – eg practice gratitude.