Mental health has a huge impact on our daily lives, life insurance can help!
What comes to your mind when you think of a healthy person? Is this person physically fit? Do they indulge in some form of exercise every day? Do they have a strong physical presence? While these are certainly some attributes of a healthy person, they are far from being the only ones. A person’s overall health and wellness are defined by two broad kinds of fitness.
Refers to the ability of your body systems to work together efficiently
Having and maintaining a state of well-being and awareness of how we think, behave and feel
Mental health has often been neglected when it comes to general healthcare. While we have made significant progress over the past couple of decades, both the government and the general public are still largely ignorant about mental health. Even prevalent disorders like anxiety (which affects as many as 250 million people worldwide) are not spoken about enough.
How can this get better? One step at a time. Let’s start with the basics.
When a mental condition (abnormal thoughts, insomnia, mood swings, etc.) starts obstructing your daily life, it becomes a disorder. Simply put, any mental illness that hinders your ability to lead a ‘normal’ human life can be considered a disorder.
Covid-19 has severely impacted the state of mental health worldwide. The pandemic associated lockdowns have led to a severe increase in people experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression. More complex mental disorders like dementia have also worsened among patients with pre-existing conditions. Alzheimer’s disease is among the most common pre-existing conditions found in patients who died of Covid-19. The pandemic has further highlighted the pressing need for mental health awareness in the U.K.
Anxiety (now officially recognised by the NHS as a disorder) is the most common mental disorder in the U.K. 39% of all British adults showed symptoms of anxiety during the lockdown. This is a large increase in the number of pre-COVID patients and shows the large impact COVID had on mental health.
Depression is the second most common mental disorder both in the world and in Britain (only behind anxiety). The DASS-21 (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale) for mental health assessment is the most commonly used tool for the diagnosis of depression. How severe is the disease when it comes to Britain? Very. It is said that one in every six adults in the U.K has experienced depression (or depressive episodes caused by other disorders) within the last year.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is another common mental disorder that affects a large number of British adults. The disorder itself is largely misunderstood among the masses. OCD isn’t necessarily about tidiness. It is characterised by intrusive, often compulsive thoughts that make a person do/want to do a seemingly random thing.
Contrary to popular belief, PTSD doesn’t just affect war veterans. While serving in the army has been linked to a disproportionately high risk of developing PTSD, it is only because of the violent nature of the job. Any kind of prolonged stress or trauma can lead to a person developing PTSD. It is characterised by extreme anxiety, panic attacks, and even audio-visual hallucinations and nightmares in severe cases.
Mental Health Foundation (MHF) England states that one in every five working days lost in the U.K. is lost because of anxiety or depression. This means that mental health disorders affect your professional and financial well-being.
Mental health affects most people in one way or another, and we believe that life insurance (and wills!) can help bring some clarity to your priorities and peace of mind. Completing some life admin is about understanding that life happens and being prepared is SO important.
Our life insurance policies look to provide cover for everyone who needs it. While this old life insurance industry will take a while to change, we are doing our best to make some changes now! We believe your family should get all the financial assistance it requires when they require it. Getting a life policy in 10-15 minutes could mean the difference for your peace of mind. Check online for a quote and see if you can get covered today – that’s one more thing to check off your to-do list.