The challenge of mental health continues to intensify across various demographics and regions. A recent report by Orygen, Australia's Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, highlights a "global crisis" in youth mental health, describing it as unprecedented and urgent. Delivery of care is where large part of the problem lies. United for Global Mental Health assesses the annual mental health financing gap at the level of USD 200 billion.

In this episode of NeuroCentury, Paweł Świeboda talks to JULES CHAPPELL, CEO of Kokoro (www.kokorochange.com), organization devoted to building coalitions to create a mentally healthy world. Jules is a former UK diplomat who served in Jordan, Iraq, the US, Ethiopia and Guatemala. She now leads a major philanthropic effort to build a people’s component to the world’s socio-economic transition. Jules and Kokoro are advocates of radical collaboration for mental health with a global network of allies, partners and funders.

The conversation explores factors that contribute to the mental health crisis, ranging from the influence of social media, insecure employment, reduced access to affordable housing and fears around climate change. It is also about positive developments such as how mental health is beginning to be treated in the workplace, with many companies offering mental health days, flexible working hours, on-site counseling, and comprehensive mental health benefits. Jules argues that we often have a blind spot for mental health and this needs to change. Just as most leaders know what they need to do on climate, they need to know the same for mental health.

neurocentury.com

Music for the NeuroCentury podcast is composed by Rafał Kulczycki