Lib Dem London Mayoral Candidate Siobhan Benita writes for Mental Health Awareness Week on her website.
As we went into lockdown in March, the UN released its World Happiness Report. It ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. As in previous years, Nordic countries dominate the top slots, scoring strongly across all six measures: GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, autonomy, generosity and absence of corruption.
Reflecting on the success of the Nordic countries, the report concludes that there is no “secret sauce” to their happiness. Instead, there is a “general recipe” that everyone can follow: non-corrupt, high-quality state institutions able to deliver what is promised and generous in taking care of citizens.
The Covid19 pandemic is a tragedy. Families and communities have lost loved ones to the virus and fear of contamination, financial uncertainty and social distancing are having a serious impact on the mental health of the nation. At the same time, the pandemic also creates a unique opportunity for us Brits to consider how we can create a better “recipe” for our citizens in the future.
The togetherness and community spirit we’ve seen during the pandemic must become permanent, she argues:
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