Mental health is a political problem

An article talking about how modern Capitalism driving social and economic inequality and lowering people's living standards contributes to mental health problems. 2 related articles to read are Capitalism is making you lonely (or rather, making it harder to leave loneliness, cringe title I know) by the same author and Housing security transformed my mental health for an article of someone saying how this went down for them.

The media’s coverage of mental health during the coronavirus crisis marks an opportunity to challenge 40 years of belief about what causes mental health problems, and how to fix them. Mental illnesses, the dominant narrative goes, are chronic health conditions caused by malfunctioning neurochemistry, and in some cases, problems within one’s family. The gold standard of treatment is some combination of therapy and medication. And seeking out that treatment is nothing to be ashamed of: after all, would you be ashamed to carry an inhaler for your asthma?

The asthma comparison is actually incredibly apt – just not for the reason most people making it might think. Asthma may be chemical at the individual level, but it is political at the population level. In the United States, for example, it occurs disproportionately in poor communities of colour, who are often forced to live near highways, waste processing facilities, and heavy industry.

People in these communities have breathing problems caused by their asthma, but their asthma is caused by the political conditions of the broader society. An inhaler can help sick people at an individual level, but a better solution would be figuring out how to create a society that doesn’t force some of its members to breathe toxic fumes.