mental health

Recently in the news we have heard about people have carried out extreme acts that have led to a lot of sadness and fear for other people. I am thinking most recently of the plane crash in The Alps where it appears that the co-pilot was suffering from depression.
It also appears that he was hiding this fact from his employers. There may be many reasons why this happened but the end result was tragic.
I think mental ill health is not understood as well as physical ill health.A real taboo surrounds mental illness and people worry about letting others know that they are ill in case it affects their relationships and employment prospects.
This is an area that is very close to my heart as I know an increasing number of people whose lives are affected by mental health problems.
Young people appear to be struggling a lot with mental health possibly due to the unique strains and uncertainties of Modern Society with many young people feeling disconnected and lonely.
Unfortunately at a time when the need for support is high the support services are faced with budget cuts and so there simply isn't enough preventative work being done.
We cannot afford to let this continue as in the long term failing to address the issue at an early stage leads to bigger problems and an even greater strain on the services in then near future.
There are so many lonely people out there of all ages and I think if everyone spends just a little more time looking out for and communicating with people that they know who seem lonely or isolated then gradually the issue will be addressed.
I obviously don't know the details of the plane crash and am unable to say if anything could have been done to prevent it but it has really set me thinking that mental health issues will not reduce until we change our approach towards people suffering with them.
I realise that in many cases medication can help but I can't help feeling that this is only one part of the solution. For many people it helps to know that people like them, want to understand them and do not judge them.