Episode 43: Measuring Happiness: Unraveling America’s Mental Health Crisis
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Episode Description:
The mental health crisis in the U.S.: What is it, how did we get here, where’s the progress, and what can we do now?
In this episode we sit down with political organizer and founder of the Good Life Movement: Andrew Frawley. Tune in for an exploration of mental illness, its causes, what societal structures exacerbate it, how solutions lie in community action, and how we can measure wellbeing to demand mental health prioritization from government policy.
Show Notes:
** Join us in person on Wednesday, May 31st at 6:30pm at Galaxy Gives in Soho NYC**
Sitting down with Andrew Frawley, Founder of the Good Life Movement, a nonprofit that brings awareness to the cause of the mental health crisis, solutions, and the importance of civic engagement
What does it mean to build a movement and organize real positive change? How?
All of us are suffering on varying levels; mental health is actually not politically controversial compared to other movements - it seems that everyone wants it. So where’s the progress?
The mental health crisis in the U.S. is like a house on fire.
1) We have never built the fire department, a care system that centers solutions and accessibility/affordability
2) We haven’t asked “Why is everything on fire?” We live in a society that fundamentally makes us sick while corporations profit off our weakness and need for convenience.
How technology impacts our mental health by affecting our attention, how we move through the world, our connection to others, and our ability to be present with mindfulness and empathy.
The fundamental flaw: Over-reliance on GDP and economic measures to evaluate our well-being as a society.
The reality in the last 50 years: GDP is up, while happiness is down and suicide is up.
To channel mental health efforts effectively, we must measure happiness (Gross Domestic Well-Being) and make decisions and policy with that ‘unit of happiness’ in mind
Happiness Economics & the Data of Happiness
Over-individualizing societal crisis
Blaming of (and onus on) the individual
How North American life frames mental illness as a moral failing
Selling self-care instead of investing in community/systematic care and building a society where mental illness doesn’t thrive
Relationships, connection, belonging, and a sense of purpose as a legitimate antidote to illness
What this means for individualist versus collectivist cultures
The loneliness epidemic
Americans and immigrants are both sold an American Dream that continues to prove false
What does community care look like?
Social media, AI as a tool
The more powerful a tool, the more thoughtful and intentional we should be in its use.
Historically, major technological advancements result in intense unrest because the tech exacerbates systems that weren’t really working to begin with - the system nor the people can adapt quickly enough to steer the results.
Compounding societal returns of mental health
Increase in creativity, innovation
Decrease in abuse, conflict
Mental health as a political cause is:
Above covid, cancer
The #1 cause for parents & educators
The #1 cause for Gen Z (even over climate change)
Learn more about GLM’s Vision and what you can do here
Reminders
For business or team leaders who want to boost productivity and happiness on their teams, visit our corporate page to learn about our programming.
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