Video: mental health and the economic system

The drive for growth at all costs underpins our economy, and was made explicit by the brief Liz Truss ‘government’. But pursuing every last efficiency and opportunity for growth comes with a cost. The environment is plundered. More is demanded from workers. The gap between rich and poor grows as wealth flows upwards to those with the most capital.

One aspect of this that gets less attention is mental health, and the connection between mental health and the economic system is the subject of a new short film from Swarm Dynamics, CUSP and the Wellbeing Economy Alliance.

Beyond a certain point, economic growth may or may not mean progress. In wealthy countries, the steps taken to increase growth may well undermine wellbeing, including mental health. At that point, we should ask a lot more questions about what growth is for and what we expect it to achieve. See The Economics of Arrival for more.