Alive & Twitching

In October 2008, Foresight, the Government’s think tank on science and technology issues, published a report, sponsored by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, entitled Mental Capital and Wellbeing. It was the result of a two-year study, headed by Professor John Beddington, the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, and involved over 400 international experts.

 

A person’s mental capital comprises their cognitive and emotional resources: their ability to think and learn and their social skills and resilience in the face of stress. A person’s mental wellbeing depends, in essence, on them being personally and socially fulfilled.

 

One of the main problem areas identified by the project is that of the ageing population. It is estimated that, by 2071, the number of people over 65 could double to nearly 21.3 million, and those over 80 could more than treble to 9.5 million. With an ageing population comes an increase in the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Over the next 30 years the number of dementia sufferers could double to 1.4 million and the cost to the economy could treble from £17 billion to £50 billion a year. It is therefore crucial to ensure that older people maintain the best possible mental capital, and thereby preserve their independence and wellbeing.

 

The report advises that the risk factors of cognitive decline should be addressed before they occur in old age. Examples given include encouraging exercise in middle age to promote a healthy cardiovascular system, and encouraging education and learning throughout a person’s life to promote cognitive reserve.

 

The report considers that achieving a small change in the average level of wellbeing across the population would produce a large decrease in the number suffering from mental disorder. Based on the evidence before it, the Foresight Project came up with the following five suggestions for achieving mental wellbeing:

1. Connect. – Connect with other people. Develop relationships with your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. These connections will provide support and enrichment.
2. Be active.- Exercise makes you feel good. Find a physical activity that you enjoy and that is appropriate to your level of mobility and fitness.
3. Take notice. – Be observant of beautiful and unusual things around you. Be aware of what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences helps you appreciate what matters to you.
4. Keep learning. – Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun.
5. Give. – Do something helpful for others. Linking yourself to the wider community can be very rewarding.

 

Some of these could be regarded as statements of the bleeding obvious but, bearing in mind the expertise of Foresight, they should be taken seriously. I am pleased to say that several of the suggestions have already been covered by my earlier blogs.