The current state of global mental health is a cause for concern.  And it seems to be getting worse.  The pandemic, unsurprisingly, generally eroded people’s mental & emotional wellbeing.  But declining mental health goes back before the pandemic started.  The WHO reports a 13% rise in mental health conditions since 2017.  This is a long-standing issue.  And it is a conversation that we need to have more often.  Our mental health affects how we think and feel about ourselves and others, how we interpret events, how we learn, how we cope with life events and how we develop and sustain relationships.  Mental health, along with emotional, physical health and social well-being, is an essential component of overall health.