If+you+wake+up+at+a+different+time,+in+a+different+place,+could+you+wake+up+as+a+different+person?

**Name:** Naomi Richards **Student Number:** n7532806 **Tutor:** Sophie Miller **Topic:** "Green, Gold and Blue: How Well Does Australia Deal With Mental Health in 2011?"

**If you wake up at a different time, in a different place, could you wake up as a different person?****Stigma, Consumerism and Mental Health** **Cultural Artefact** media type="youtube" key="D-ppFSUl26I" height="315" width="560"

Directed by David Fincher, "Fight Club" follows the journeys of an office employee and soap salesman who build a global organization to vent male aggression. The film has been claimed to be both challenging and thought provoking as it follows Jack, a "30 year-old boy" who is a "slave to his IKEA nesting instinct" who arguably suffers a schizophrenic break down. Jack's repressed rage, shame, pain, fear and other negative emotions begin to exercise themselves but he eventually overcomes this to obtain spiritual enlightenment. The movie also laments the materialization and consumer mindset of modern life, suggesting that mass marketing and commercialization is due to soon move into the outer limits of the larger universe – “Starbucks billboards on the moon.”

**Public Health Issue**

This cultural artefact demonstrates the complexity of the human mind which encompasses persona (self-identity), ego and shadow (past trauma and emotion which in spite of ego places a powerful force on individual lives) (Clifford, 2010). This essay will demonstrate the state of Mental Health both in Australia and internationally and it's relation to stigma and consumerism. Furthermore, it will demonstrate how materialization can create a sense of emptiness which encompasses a hunger for something more meaningful and will highlight the importance of mental health awareness in modern times.

**Literature Review**

It has been argued that the increase in depression in modern industrial societies is connected to their economic systems (Head & Singleton, 2011). Financial success in modern industrial societies is associated with heightened awareness of financial self-interest, resulting in greater self-absorption, which can increase the likelihood for depression; while a lack of financial self-interest in such an economic system results in deprivation and misery (Head & Singleton, 2011). Mental health is an all-encompassing state, it is defined by the World Health Organization (2011, 2010) as "a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community"

The National Mental Health Strategy began in 1993 with the intention of expanding treatment and support services, as well as moving towards community-based care, otherwise known as deinstitutionalization ( Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007). Total government spending on mental health increased by 137% between 1993 and 2008, not including a range of health and welfare services provided by the government such as income support, housing services, domiciliary care and employment and training opportunities ( Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007). Although the Australian Government has efficiently increased resources and support services for those suffering from mental illness, rates are still high, with a 1999-00 government report stating an 18% prevalence compared with 20% in 2007-08. Even though these initiatives have been executed, long term mental and behavioral problems have continued to increase progressively since 1995 ( Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007). Arguably, this lack of progress is due to a lack of awareness and acceptance within a consumer driven market.

In modern times, the incidence of mental illness in Australia is lower when compared to the United Kingdom (UK) and America (USA). Officially 20% of our adult population have mental illness of any description in any 12 month period in comparison to the UK at 25% and America at 26% in any year (APA, 2011). Also, according to the World Health Organisation combined male and female suicide rates compare as follows: in Australia: 16.4 people per 100,000 take their lives annually, in the UK: 13.9 and USA: 22.2. The highest rates were in The Russian Federation (63.4), Lithuania (71.7) and The Republic of Korea (62). The lowest rates were recorded in The Maldives, Antigua, Barbuda and Armenia ( World Health Organization, 2010).

Australia, the United Kingdom and America have all followed Italy in the last thirty years by undertaking similar national policies that have favored closure of traditional mental health institutions and the promotion of care in the community (Head & Singleton, 2011). However, consumerism still plays a large role in the global mental health issue with individuals regularly taking actions based on financial self-interest while at the same time trying not to suffer from self absorption.

Although mental health services are readily available within Australia, the United Kingdom and America, only about a third of sufferers of mental illness actually receive care for their illness ( World Health Organization, 2010). This suggests that further steps need to be taken for cultural acceptance and awareness of mental health in order to abolish the stigma that often makes individuals reluctant to receive proper treatment. Consumerism is a strong contributing factor due to modern consumer culture built on the having mode (greed, acquisition, possession, aggressiveness, control, deception, and alienation from one's authentic self, others, and the natural world) versus the joyful being mode (the act of loving, sharing, and discovering, and being authentic and connected to one's self, others, and the natural world) (Clifford, 2010).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Naturally, individuals long to be happy and the pressure to be in a good mood can make people ashamed of not being in one. This "pain over pain" can then result in normal low moods becoming prolonged bouts of despair (Judd, 2006). The stigma of mental health has dominated within Australia, the United States and UK since it became a nation primarily of consumers rather than citizens, a gradual process that accelerated with the ascent of advertising in the beginning of the 1900s, and which dramatically spiked with the consumer boom following World War II (APA, 2011). The belief that people should be either happy or trying to be happier is a fundamental principle of modern consumerism - the never-ending search for products and services to bring happiness and prevent unhappiness.

<span style="color: #160fe8; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: center;">**Cultural and Social Analysis**

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Carlisle and Hanlon (2008) note that humans are biologically designed through evolutionary processes to want to pursue social goals that may be incompatible to their long-term wellbeing. They highlight how individuals are drawn to investing in sources of happiness which are relative to what others have and are influenced by experiential factors. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Today, however, the mental health profession has come to be dominated by biopsychiatrists: those who see depression as a matter mainly of brain chemistry and mental health treatment has increasingly become a component rather than a confrontation of modern consumerism (Carlisle & Hanlom, 2008). Drugs have become more prominent within treatment and there is more demand for speed and frequency when treating patients. By the early 1990s, two-thirds of doctor visits were less than fifteen minutes, and a 2001 RAND Corporation survey revealed that the majority of physicians were diagnosing depression in less than three minutes (APA, 2010).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Australia as a western society culture recognizes mental health as a growing issue, which is reflected with their health budget and persistence of applying charities and programs to aid the nation. Eastern culture societies such as Japan and China have a significantly large budget allowance for mental health, for example Japan spends 5% of its approximately $50 billion dollar health budget towards mental health aid (MOFA, 2011).

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">In this way, characteristics of Western society such as competition, aggression, status striving, materialism, and individualism and consumerism in particular, compromise our well being as we neglect more important aspects of our lives such as relationships, community and health (Carlisle & Hanlon, 2008). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Since the deinstitutionalization of mental health great strides have been made towards removing the stigma of mental illnesses. The shifted focus of care in the community goes hand in hand with deinstitutionalization or the practice of ‘emptying’ residential psychiatric institutions. Deinstituionalization appears to be an international feature of mental health care systems but ironically it has been criticized that governments have initiated deinstitutionalization in their efforts to reduce costs (Clifford, 2010).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Is it the stigma of depressive illness that we need to eliminate, or rather the stigma of being depressed? Instead of viewing being depressed as weakness or illness, depression could be viewed as a human reaction - to be taken as seriously as all other dimensions of our humanity. (Pilgrim and Rogers, 1999). This stigma is problematic for mental health because the stigma attached to ‘mental illness’ provides a powerful disincentive for people to actively seek information or help outside their family or close community. Diagnosed labels such as schizophrenia or depression come along with prejudiced connotations, making it difficult to seek help in modern times.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">When people label a natural component of their existence as "sick," they run the risk of alienating themselves from a part of who they are, making that component far more problematic than it naturally is. By contrast, when we accept the whole of our humanity, we are often rewarded with greater joy and almost always receive increased wisdom about life.

<span style="color: #2314e3; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Analysis of Artefact**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Fight Club demonstrates postmodern consumer society, loss of masculine identity amongst male gray-collar workers and the social stratification created by our materialistic society. The story line begins with a nameless narrator referred to as Jack, explaining to us how exactly he came to know Tyler Durden, who is actually the alter ego of our narrator. Jack describes himself as a "30 year-old boy" who is a "slave to his IKEA nesting instinct". In the early parts of the movie, Jack's home is displayed to the viewer, including the cost of each item. At one point he ponders, "Which dining room table best defines me as a person?"

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">In displaying his home to the viewer, Jack is also displaying the image he has carefully crafted and invested in. It's a nice home: Clean, straight, orderly, well-orchestrated and magazine-perfect to the point of near sterility. Jack also laments the materialization and consumer mindset of modern life and he sees the shallowness and lack of purpose in his life. This creates a sense of emptiness in him with an accompanying hunger for something more meaningful, much like society. This makes Jack discontent and perhaps ripe for a life crisis and he indeed suffers from a mental illness as a result.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Jack begins to have difficulty sleeping. He goes to see a doctor and begs him for some medication that would allow him to get a good night's rest but the doctor dismisses him. It's important to know that sleep deprivation is associated with psychotic states of consciousness and it's here that we begin to see evidence that Jack's ego is breaking down. This stage would correspond with the 'prodromal' phase of a schizophrenic breakdown/fragmentation crisis.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Throughout this essay, I have learnt the influence consumerism has upon modern society and how this in turn affects our mental health. I realised that by eliminating the stigma of mental health great improvements will be made in the overall mental health of Australians and individuals across the globe. I think this will help my future learning process as it will help me think critically about Mental Health Issues and has broadened my knowledge on Mental Health Issues within Australia and Internationally.


 * Learning Engagement and Reflection **

Are you Sexy Enough for Sport? http://healthculturesociety.wikispaces.com/+Are+you+Sexy+Enough+for+Sport%3F

I found your article extremely interesting and thought that it was written very well. I thought your usage of the Marxist theory was both clever and enlightening as it demonstrated how males always appeared to be the dominant class when it came to sport throughout history. Therefore, when women choose to participate more actively it challenges the dominant party and there is a lack of respect due to this power imbalance. Your artefact was also very effective in conveying sexism in sport. It is interesting to note that one of the highest grossing female tennis players, Anna Kournikova, never won a grand slam or major title yet made money due to her ‘sex appeal’. All in all, this essay was a great read.

Mental Health in Australia, Screaming for help! http://healthculturesociety.wikispaces.com/Mental+Health+in+Australia%2C+Screaming+for+help%21

This essay was effective in demonstrating the importance of mental health and the current state of mental health within Australia. Your use of statistics was extremely accurate and helped depict the great need for improvement of mental health. I found it interesting how you tied in Durkheim’s theories into your argument when explaining the different at risk groups within society. Your artefact was used extremely well for you linked this to Edvard Munch’s traumatic childhood, psychotic sister and his own mental health hardships. This painting helps individuals grasp the pain and suffering many people go through on a daily basis due to mental health issues within Australia and globally. Great work!

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">media type="youtube" key="rOx9uQ4cuJk" height="315" width="420"


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">References **

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2007). //National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results.// Retrieved October 2, 2011 from: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[]

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2007). //Young Australians: Their health and wellbeing 2007//. Retrieved from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">AMHF. (2011). //African Mental Health Foundation.// Retrieved from: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">APA. (2011). //American Psychological Association.// Retrieved from: []

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Carlisle S & Hanlon P. (2008). Well-being as a focus for public health? A critique and defence. //Critical Public Health, 18//(3); 263-270. Doi: 10.1080/09581590802277358

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Clifford, K. (2010). The thin blue line of mental health in Australia. //Police practice and research11//(4). Pg 355-370. Doi: 10.1080/15614263.2010.496561

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Eckersley R. & Dear, K. (2002). //Cultural correlates of youth suicide, Social Science &Medicine,55//(11): 1891-1904.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Federal Budget. (2011). //Health Budget for the Australian Government//. Retrieved from: []

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Hazelwood Z & Shakespeare-Finch J (2011). //I'm Listening: Communication for health professionals.// Inn Press. P 144.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Head, J. & Singleton, N. (2011). Occupation and mental health in a national UK survey. //Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology 46//(2). Pg 101-110. doi: 10.1007/s00127-009-0173-7

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Judd, F. (2006). Understanding Suicide in Australian farmers. //Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology 41//(1). Pg 1-10. doi: 10.1007/s00127-005-0007-1

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. (2011). //Toward a Japanese Model of the Welfare State//. Retrieved from: http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/japan/socsec/maruo/index.html

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Sane Australia. (2010). //Facts and figures about mental illness//. Retrieved from <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[]

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">World Health Organization. (2010). //Mental health: strengthening our response//. Retrieved from <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[]