This week, a Model United Nations conference took place at Lady Eleanor Holles School for Girls in which a multitude of lively debates took place. All of the different schools that took place had to represent a different country and take on that country’s view, regardless of how much it conflicted with their personal view. One of the debate topics was dealing with the issue of those suffering from a mental illness, an excellent discursive topic as perspectives vary from country to country. A delegate representing Italy put forth a solution to the issue of mental illness and suggested they should be integrated into all parts of society; delegates representing countries such as China and Egypt fought heartily against this solution. Although it my have not been their personal view, they still managed to fight with all of their strength and encourage fruitful debate. But the problem of mental health is much more serious than just a debate topic.
Over the years, mental illness has become a stigma in many countries and societies, shocking statistics show nearly 300,000 young people in Britain have an anxiety disorder, 1 in 10 suicides in the UK are by those aged 15-24 and on average, it takes almost ten years for someone with a mental illness to seek help. So what has caused this stigma of mental health? When talking to some of the delegates at the Model United Nations conference and asking them what they found in their research, a lot of countries mentioned mental health wasn’t seen as a big issue and therefore was neglected “it’s hard to do that kind of research” a delegate says, “because I don’t agree with it, but it makes sense, it almost feels like they don’t care at all because they don’t really know how to ‘fix’ the illness. I can understand why many young people don’t come forward about their own personal struggle”
How can we de-stigmatize mental health internationally? Research shows that actually talking to someone about suicidal thoughts reduces the risk of suicide. Helene M Farrell, a forensic psychiatrist who has given Ted talks about the definition of depression and other such mental illnesses suggests that “open conversations about mental illness erodes stigma and make it easier for people to ask for help, and the more patients seek treatment, the more scientists will learn”
Topics such as mental illness are so important to be discussed in conferences such as Model United Nations as it raises awareness and enables individuals to view different perspectives and feel more comfortable discussing the issue.
Hannah Samuel-Ogbu Cobham Hall
