Rachelle McDade, director of Healthcare Planning at Currie & Brown, Chris Roberts, associate director, David Morley Architects, and Evelien van Veen, a partner at Woonwerk Architecten, explore how – against the backdrop of a rise in mental ill health, ‘active design can have a significant positive impact on our communities, and offer the potential to help support our mental health crisis’.
In March 2024, the Global Mind Project's Mental State of the World in 2023 report revealed that the UK is the world's second most depressed country, with substantial portions of the population struggling to access mental health support. The key contributory factors cited are a younger age of smartphone exposure, and 'fraying of friendships and family relationships', suggesting greater economic development does not necessarily translate into better mental wellbeing. The report says: 'Across the UK, the number of children and young people experiencing mental health problems is growing exponentially.' It adds that around 25% of the UK population are asking for help and not receiving it, while those accessing care often receive it too late. We know part of the solution is preventative care, but our community healthcare system lacks the facilities to support this. We are aware of the need to signpost to alternate means of support, and to re-think the models of care and deliver a step-change in how we deliver mental health support.
A key role is to re-engage the community — the natural support network that used to exist. The digital evolution has aided access to mental health support, but we are also seeing the destruction of the human support network. People no longer talk face to face as they embed themselves in social online networks, and no longer go shopping or take lunch together as much, as they can shop online or order food deliveries. We are currently witnessing a strong decline in community, as libraries and town halls close due to underutilisation. The generational gap widens as youth no longer see the benefits of engaging with our ageing population. Young adults no longer interact as they swipe through dating/shopping apps. Thus we end up with all generations living online in their silos, all lonely within their generational worlds. The isolation from society significantly impacts people's mental health and wellbeing through lack of connectivity.
Poor mental health has wider financial impacts, leading to issues of presenteeism, staff turnover, and a loss in tax revenues, resulting in a downturn in the economy. Coupled with the climate and cost-of-living crisis, this continues to lead to a cyclical poorer mental health society.
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