Greater connectivity: new risks, new opportunities

Deepa Jaga from Metropolitan’s health division.

Ushering in the new ‘connected’ world, the digital era has the potential to reinvent healthcare on many levels. However, according to Deepa Jaga from Metropolitan’s health division, our hyper-connected world can be a double-edged sword, aggravating mental disorders at the same time as being an empowering platform. With October being Mental Health Awareness Month, Jaga discusses these issues in more depth.

Digital addiction

“Many individuals become ‘addicted’ to digital technologies such as social media platforms, email and their mobile phone,” says Jaga. “Struggling to ‘switch off’ in a constantly connected world can lead to an unhealthy imbalance, which fuels stress levels and various mental illnesses. In such an environment, individuals struggle with a kind of technological Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).”

Jaga points out that digital connectivity also means individuals are far more aware of what’s happening in the lives of online friends and peers. Research published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology shows that social media and depression go hand-in-hand. This is because social media users tend to compare themselves to their ‘friends’, many of whom are bragging and boasting online about everything from their children’s achievements to their latest holiday.”

Generation Y, the younger members of our workforce born between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s, are particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon and tend to have unrealistic expectations of the workplace and their career, becoming chronically unhappy when reality does not measure up to expectations.

State of the nation

“South Africa is in the top five countries worldwide whose internet users spend the most time online,” says Jaga. The average South African accessing the Internet via a PC or laptop spends 5.1 hours each day online, while those gaining access via mobile spend around 3.1 hours online each day. This online time is not necessarily work-related and clearly impacts on productivity, which in turn can lead to increased stress levels when deadlines loom.

“Worldwide South Africa is ranked the most stressed-out country after Nigeria. Studies have also found significant associations between substance use and mental illness - high rates of substance abuse in South Africa attest to this. All these factors culminate in a high suicide rate. There is also increasing evidence that the Internet and social media can influence suicide-related behaviour.”

It’s not all doom and gloom

Deepa points out that, like any chronic condition, mental illness can be managed successfully. “Techniques such as mindfulness are essential in helping one to switch off and cope in this wired world. Healthcare providers play a crucial role in diagnosing mental disorders and providing optimal treatment. However, a holistic approach, where patients adhere to medication and psychotherapy (where indicated), and follow a healthy lifestyle, is also vital.”

While an increasingly ‘connected’ world creates new health risks, it also offers new platforms for empowering individuals to better manage their health. People with severe mental illness are often willing to go online and share their stories to provide support for others with similar conditions. This also provided a path for learning from the experiences of others. “These findings suggest social media platforms can be leveraged to provide informal peer support to individuals with mental illness,” says Deepa.