10 Things I Would Psychiatrically Like to See at the Democratic Convention

Victor Moussa/AdobeStock

PSYCHIATRIC VIEWS ON THE DAILY NEWS

On Friday, Kamala Harris provided her first major policy speech in her run for the presidency. It was an economic plan. That was not surprising because the United States, as do many other countries, puts an emphasis on economic measures as to how well it is doing. Pundits try to point out how the average citizen is doing economically for an indication of who they will vote for.

Nevertheless, there is growing awareness that economic measures are not enough, and that we also need broad measures of well-being. Happiness levels are one, and the United States is nowhere near the top, apparently not even in the top 20. No wonder courses on happiness are so popular at our schools, live and online.

Desirable outcomes, including economic ones, are often caused by well-being rather than the other way around.¹ Well-being reflects both feeling good and other beneficial consequences. For wealthier countries like the United States, well-being becomes more associated with factors like social relationships and enjoyment at work than income.

The latest 2023 report by the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index, begun in 2008, provided a snapshot of our well-being, behavior, and attitudes.² Strikingly, the level of reported thriving in 2023 was the lowest since the years of the Great Recession in 2008-2009, even though the overall the economy was doing pretty well. Republicans had a harder time thriving than Democrats, although the range for both was 50% to 55%. Incivility seemed to be limiting people’s feelings of social wellness.

Our collective well-being may now depend more on factors that improve mental health. Therefore, I would like to see the following come out during the Democratic convention:

• Some expression of grief for the innocent injuries and loss of life in the current wars and a reminder of the COVID-19 losses
• The continuation of joy that was underscored by Tim Walz, but joy in a positive context, not from stereotyping, bashing others, or winning an argument
• A call for unity, not only in the party, but the country
• No name-calling of the opposition, “weird” or otherwise
• A medical explanation for the withdrawal of President Biden that will clearly indicate that it was not an internal coup
• Appreciation for President Biden putting any personal ambition behind for the well-being of the party and country
• Celebrating America as a beautiful mosaic and nourishing potluck of cultures, religions, and immigrants
• A plan for addressing the continuing rise in the prevalence of various mental disorders and disturbances, especially in our youth
• A new plan to address the crisis of climate instability and all its climate-related mental conditions
• Adding a psychiatric consultant to the administration at the highest levels

Whether the Democrats do this or not, the Republicans can focus on well-being too, perhaps even trying to outdo the Democrats in this regard. There is not a quick fix for our thriving stagnation, but certainly not impossible. In the meanwhile, it behooves us to be politically active for our well-being, and to control what we can in our individual lives rather than just blaming circumstances and others.

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry and is now in retirement and retirement as a private pro bono community psychiatrist. A prolific writer and speaker, he has done a weekday column titled “Psychiatric Views on the Daily News” and a weekly video, “Psychiatry & Society,” since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. He was chosen to receive the 2024 Abraham Halpern Humanitarian Award from the American Association for Social Psychiatry. Previously, he received the Administrative Award in 2016 from the American Psychiatric Association, the one-time designation of being a Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Speaker of the Assembly of the APA in 2002, and the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1991. He is an advocate and activist for mental health issues related to climate instability, physician burnout, and xenophobia. He is now editing the final book in a 4-volume series on religions and psychiatry for Springer: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, Christianity, and now The Eastern Religions, and Spirituality. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times.

References

1. Dinner E, Seligman MEP. Beyond money: toward an economy of well-being. Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2004;5(1):1-31.

2. Holcombe M. Welcome to the ‘new normal’ of people expressing low rates of well-being, according to a report. CNN. January 18, 2024. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/18/health/gallup-well-being-2023-wellness/index.html