Why is mental health so hard to measure?
John Burn-Murdoch is a reporter at the Financial Times who recently did a deep dive into what reliable data exists on mental health.
His finding? There isn't nearly as much solid, reliable data on this topic as many people would like. Small changes in survey wording can skew results. Questions aren't always comparable between different countries.
And what people feel is or isn't a mental health problem has fluctuated a lot over time.
In this episode, Katty Kay speaks with John Burn-Murdoch about the data we do have. And why getting firm figures on this really important issue has proven to be so difficult.
And one note: Katty and John do talk briefly about the data that exists on some of the more tragic outcomes related to people’s mental health.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can find resources through the BBC Action Line: https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/
In the US and Canada, you can also call or text 988 to reach the national crisis line in each country.
