The importance of Mental Health is rapidly growing, with an increasing number of individuals from Generation Z and Millennials grappling with depression and anxiety.
Regrettably, the COVID-19 pandemic did not make things better, and data from the OECD shows a significant increase in both depression and anxiety in most countries.
The use of antidepressants has more than doubled in many countries from the year 2000 until now.
During the last Danish election, mental health among young people was high on the agenda, and it is a topic that most families can relate to. The debate in Denmark is heavily focused on the lack of people and resources in the psychiatry field, which is an important issue that needs to be addressed. However, hiring more psychiatrists is not an instant solution. In Denmark, it takes around 12 years to become a psychiatrist, with the first 6 years as a doctor and then an additional 6 years to specialize in psychiatry.
This compels me to ponder why we aren’t actively exploring alternative avenues to enhance mental well-being. Acknowledging the therapeutic influence of nature on our mental state, initiatives like Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing concentrate on employing fly fishing to facilitate the emotional and physical rehabilitation of disabled military personnel and veterans. Similarly, The May Fly Project, a non-profit entity, leverages fly fishing to mentor children in foster care, fostering self-esteem and a profounder connection with the outdoors.
Recent research additionally underscores how fly fishing can contribute to treating PTSD. Source: ResearchGate
With many well-established and functional programs already in operation, the key is not to reinvent the wheel, but rather to harness the existing knowledge and put it into action. Creating non-profit organizations that can draw from global learnings and drive initiatives to aid the recovery of mental health issues. This could potentially reduce the resources needed in the psychiatry field.
In my opinion, we owe it to our current and future generations to explore alternative solutions. We cannot solely rely on escalated funding for psychiatry, and heightened antidepressant prescriptions falls insufficient in effectively addressing the complex challenges we currently face.
Below inspiration is Kayla Lockheart, a well known figure in the fly fishing world.
Watch the video and see how fly fishing helped her dealing with anxiety and depression.