Mental illness is now costing health services more than cancer and heart disease, and a panel of experts from around the world will explore solutions for the escalation of mental health problems during an online conference, entitled ‘Upgrade Your Brain’, on 24 April.
In the last three years The Children’s Society reports that the likelihood of a young person having a mental health issue has increased by 50 per cent. One in six children aged 5-16 are now likely to have a mental health problem, which has been described as a ‘global brain health emergency’ by the European Federation of Neuroscience Societies.
Antidepressant prescriptions are close to 100 million within the last year alone, representing a 70% increase in the past five years.
The conference, which will focus on the latest science and solutions to give practitioners practical advice from leading clinicians, will be chaired by spokesperson on nutrition and mental health Patrick Holford, founder of both the charitable foundation ‘Food for Brain Foundation’ and the Institute for Optimum Nutrition.
“The growth in mental illness in children and adults is not sustainable. In some poorer areas one in two women are now on antidepressants; close to one million in the UK have dementia. By 2080, one in three children will have severe neurodevelopment impairment with major functional and communication deficits,” he noted.
“We need a united and progressive understanding of what’s driving this brain drain to enable the right solutions. We need governments to wake up to the reality of this cerebral tsunami otherwise we are heading for an ideocracy. The ‘Upgrade Your Brain’ conference brings all the pieces together with an unparalleled team of experts. All health care practitioners, and anyone in mental health and education, needs to be there,” Halford added.
Click here for details on the ‘Upgrade Your Brain’ campaign.
