Happiness and Misery – a Recent UN Report – The Black Dog and Steemit.com
![img](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://i.imgur.com/ZmiIdUx.png)
Several days ago I received a message from one of my good steeemmates, @barrydutton. Barry is a salt of the earth kind of bloke. He found out that one of our finest fellow steemians was in a bit of strife.
Barry, himself, was badly run over about a year ago and should be wallowing in compensation but the authorities and insurance company have so mishandled the case that he is worse than in limbo. Regardless, Barry sought to come to the aid of a fellow steemian.
The Black Dog – to some a Labrador, to others it is an all-consuming unwelcome presence which the fortunate majority often find difficult to engage with.
Rather than give you my lay explanation of mental health issues, a recent UN Report into World Happiness included this in its introduction:
“Nowhere [in the world] is physical illness a bigger source of misery than mental illness.”
![img](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://i.imgur.com/3JxWkwD.png)
There are four countries which were investigated further: USA, Australia, Britain and Indonesia.
The sources of data are as follows:
USA: Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (sample aged 25+)
Australia: Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA)(Sample aged 25+)
Britain: British Cohort Study (BCS) (surveyed at ages 34 and 42)
& British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) (sample aged 25+)
Indonesia: Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) (sample aged 25+)
There is then an estimate an equation of the form through determining a risk factor of being categorised as miserable if found to be in one of these categories: Poor, Uneducated, Unemployed, No Partner, Physically Ill, Mentally Ill.
The table below shows the percentage chance of being miserable if in one of the determining categories. This shows that in the USA, for example, a person who is poor is 5.5 percentage points more likely than otherwise to be miserable. By contrast someone with depression or anxiety is 10.7 percentage points more likely to be miserable.
![img](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://i.imgur.com/PsmFyCT.png)
These metrics might appear to be rather dull. They do, however, point to the allocation of Public Spending. Every Government Department in the World wants more Budget Allocation; how to spend wisely is the name of the game.
So how much could we reduce the prevalence of misery in the USA if we could miraculously abolish depression and anxiety disorders without changing anything else?
Well, around 22% of the population has this diagnosis. If they were all cured, we could reduce the percentage of the population in misery by 0.107 times 22%. This is 2.35% of the whole population. That is large portion of the total 5.6% who are in misery.
In Britain the role of poverty is less than it is in the USA, but the role of mental health as large or larger.
To the Allocation of Public Spending.
![img](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://i.imgur.com/2Dh7W0G.png)
In Britain, the most prevalent issue facing General Practitioners is mental health. The studies of the UN Report would suggest that each of the four countries studied experience similar findings.
Quite clearly, prevention is better than cure, in every aspect. For a happier country, resolve the mental health issues. Go a step further and treat the cause, as well as the symptoms.
For a creative approach, why not ask those recovered mental health patients to get involved with the solution.
![img](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://i.imgur.com/Fb0Sumx.png)
Nicely done to @barrydutton always hear good things good write up on it @ebryans, I have been reading articles about the happiest places in the world and it didn't surprise me to see the wealthiest are some of the most miserable. By the way any idea where all the bots have gone lol?
Yes, poor Barry has had a shocking time with the police and so forth but he still found time to do what he did. I did not want to mention the steemian whom we rallied around for obvious reasons. I know several steemians who are in vrying states of mental illness or short/medium term mental trauma.
1 in 5 is the western world's stats!
Re bots, no, I have not heard that there is any particular thing going on.
It would be a blessing if they were banned ... less votes and more value per vote! The way forwards. My 100word story contest is at the top of 'hot' and 'trending' so a fall is imminent if the saying is correct! Namaste, my friend.
I have made conscious efforts to find and connect with other Steemit users outside of here, for JUST those reasons, ever since I joined, as a measure to build community and relationship.
I find it profound you would pick up on this aspect and step out and write about all this today.
The UN is part of the problem, as anyone knows that is paying attention to policy work and not the lamestream media, paid off to look the other way and do what their puppet masters tell them.
This is all directly tied to the UN agenda --- aka Agenda 21 (look it up if you need to, it is better you know for yourself!) - and the geopolitical goals to divide the rich and the poor and keep people sick, upset, overworked and underpaid -- and thus subservient to the "state" .
God bless ya man, I really appreciate the kind words..... and you bringing these issues out in the light.
The state and the grid does not care about you. They sure care when you start to wake up and inform others..... ask me how I know.
Have a nice week everyone!
The UN is becoming an instrument of UNtruth - I might have to trademark that icon - I agree with you. I have seen many things go on which have been conveniently swept beneath 'persians' and have disappeared off the internet as well.
This report was commissioned by Banki-Moon back in 2010/11.
There are some other very strange ststs which come out of raw data - I was going to write a different type of post but this just jumped out as I have many friends here and off steemit who are hounded - gettit?
Namaste.
I hear you 110% my friend.
Just hit 10k Steem Power! What a long Minnow Life that was eh? You relate!!!
TY for your help and support!!!
That is fantastic news my friend! I am really pleased for you. 10,000 - that seems a lifetime away for me. I am languishing on 3,000-odd but I do know why and it is my own fault for being the megaphone of reason about the structure of the platform. I seem to reject whales magnetically, though there is a change going on ... a few have started to see the sense in my words and are, I am pleased to say, making life less about an average $2 per post!!
You know I relate a lot to you and that.... 2 mins ago I just said this to another activist type LOL
The Steemit whales will take me out before that happens,
I lose friends because I rabble rouse for the masses ... the 99%
LOL
#MinnowLife
foreva in my heart.
Made me think of you actually for sure. I respect you man, I see some people forgetting where they came from on here, sucking up to the top 0.05% and not making a critical word or suggestion in the least,
blecchhhh
lol
I think that sometimes people make things like steemit the centre of their universe and develop behaviours within such an environment which they then transport out into the real world.
Cyber-bullying and real-world bullying is an example.
Thankfully, there are people like you around!
Happiness is freedom. The lord shall set you free😘😍😘 free will might release
Thank you my dear friend ... 1 in 5 people in the western world ... that is quite a statistic!
Nice ! :)
Thank you my friend, depression is a difficult subject. One in 5 people suffer from it in the western world. Thee are many steemians whom I know who suffer from this unwelcome condition as well. We just need to be aware of each other - I have four good steemian friends who are suffering in one way or another!
Namaste, my happy friend.
Depression is a difficult subject, and the best way to combat depression is happiness!
Happiness might be the answer to everything, but we stuck to other things and I think that we don't really want to be happy! I heard a lot of people who are saying that happiness it's very hard to reach, but I think it's easier than we think.
We seem to be on different time zones ... patterns anyway! Depression, like many broad subjects, has so many facets, some chemical, some environmental, some experiential etc.
Happiness, to those of us fortunate enough to be unaffected by the clinical depression types, have a choice - be happy, irrespective because the alternative is pretty grim! Namaste.
By the way, I hope you liked my #originaltag, #heuer! As I said in the post ... it had to be done.
Hey @ebryans, yes I love your post and the tag you created! It was a pleasure to read this post! Nicely done man! Much appreciated your work! Cheers!
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