October Health – 2024 Report
State of Mind
Namibia
The official October Health report on the state of mental well-being in Namibia. Namibia is losing billions per year due to mental health issues. We need to change that.
Mental well-being tracker
How people in Namibia rate themselves on a 1-10 scale for life satisfaction - mental well-being is getting worse!
The background on October Health's State of Mind Report
The world is facing a growing mental health crisis.
Namibia faces its own set of challenges contributing to a mental health crisis, similar to many regions. The country battles high rates of poverty, unemployment, and inequality, which are significant stressors impacting mental well-being. Additionally, Namibia has a history of conflict and trauma from its struggle for independence, which continues to affect the mental health of its citizens. Access to mental health services is limited, with a shortage of qualified professionals and resources, making it difficult for many to receive the care they need. The mental health infrastructure is underfunded, and rural areas, in particular, lack adequate support. To address these issues, Namibia must invest in strengthening its mental healthcare system by training more professionals, increasing funding, especially for community-based services, and enhancing access for underserved populations. Efforts to reduce stigma and raise awareness about mental health can also play a critical role in improving outcomes. By taking these steps, Namibia can work towards providing better mental health support for its population.
Data from October Health
What's driving mental health stresses in Namibia according to October?
Businesses are suffering without realising
Poor mental health has extremely significant costs to businesses:
- Lost productivity. Employees with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or substance use disorders may be less productive and miss more work. This lost productivity results in lower output and revenue for businesses. Estimates suggest mental health problems reduce productivity and economic growth by up to 4% per year.
- Presenteeism. Some employees may come to work but not be fully productive due to poor mental health. This "presenteeism" still costs businesses money in the form of reduced performance and effectiveness. Presenteeism can be harder for employers to detect but can be even more costly than absenteeism.
- Higher healthcare costs. When mental health issues go untreated, they can lead to more severe health problems and higher healthcare costs. For example, untreated depression can increase the risk of chronic physical health issues, resulting in greater spending on healthcare premiums and services. Providing mental health benefits could help address issues early and reduce long-term healthcare costs.
- Recruitment and retention challenges. If a company does not provide adequate mental health support, it may struggle to attract and retain top talent. In today's market, mental health benefits and a supportive work culture are appealing to employees and candidates. When people's needs are met, they are more likely to join and stay at a company, which reduces costly turnover.
- Safety and risk issues. Poor mental health can impact judgment, focus, and decision making, which may put employee and public safety at risk in some jobs. Proactively supporting mental health and monitoring risks is important for companies where safety is a concern. Doing so could help prevent dangerous incidents and legal issues.
Targeting our future
Women, trans, non-binary and youth are disproportionally affected
October's data shows that women on average score 12% lower than men on mental health assessments than men. The lowest scoring age bracket is 16-18 year olds.
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- Teenagers dealing with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or substance abuse may struggle in school and have lower academic performance. This can make it harder to pursue higher education or certain career opportunities later on.
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- Women with mental health conditions may be at higher risk of abuse, violence, and traumatic experiences, which can further worsen their mental state and physical health.
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- Some research suggests teenagers with mental illness are at higher risk of engaging in criminal or violent behavior if their condition goes untreated.
Mental well-being by gender
Scored from 1-10 with self-reported genders with 10 being the best.
Mental well-being by age
Scored from 1-10 with self-reported ages with 10 being the best.
Mental well-being by state
Where you live and work changes your mental well-being.
October provides this State of Mind report as a live resource to help businesses, government, and the public understand the impact of mental health on global economies.
The data on this report was last refreshed on 2024-10-13. The data is sourced from the October Health platform, which is an anonymous and confidential mental health platform.
The data may be used freely for non-commercial use or by journalists, but you must attribute the source as October Health. Should you have any questions or be interested in a commercial license for our data, please contact us via the October website.
Proactive mental fitness for high performance staff.
Understand the stresses and workplace challenges of your staff and provide them with the tools to protect their productivity and mental health.