Which approach improves mental health and cooperation.
The approach of imposing edicts on the community and continuous media can cause people to become overloaded and powerless. Resistance occurs when people feel forced. So when there are threats to back up wanted behaviour this creates deeper resentment not positive cooperation.
The mental health of citizens in Melbourne, will deteriorate as they are in an environment that is uncertain, that is restricted, that is punitive if you don’t “do as you are told” like a child. I say that with respect, as when a child is controlled they naturally rebel. They don’t do it to be difficult it is a natural instinct to gain one’s power back. This is actually part of a felt survival.
The title is consult or comply is inspired by the Workcover video on consultation. I am viewing the business owner as the government given they framed like a corporation these days.
New Workcover laws in NSW serve as an example whereby the laws ensure businesses consult with workers as an activity impacts them. The key word here is when a person life is impacted by business (government) decisions. The consultation ensures a higher likelihood of health and safety. It leads to less injuries, mental health problems, community building and opens the discussion to include the public as they have different perspectives and concerns.
Often when changes occur the public is on the outer periphery as government has not deeply embedded democracy as a strategy for wellbeing as part of their interaction with the community. Instead experts fill the gap or business people with status are consulted who will have a different perspective, typically in relation to their interests.
The video advises to appoint a Health and Safety Representative (HSR), applying it to social representation, this could occur at the community level. It could be by suburb, by Local Government Area, Electorate, Region, City, State and Country. This means advocacy can take place to ensure people are heard and understood if cooperation is the outcome desired by government.
This means that information about how people are coping under government imposed activities/restrictions and if it is actually working or not. To come out and say that people are disobeying edicts without a deeper appreciation of the practicalities of peoples lives within great diversity sets up an adversarial and potentially conflicted situation. To increase fines only increases tensions and unhappiness which does not promote mental health. These are coercive approaches which do not have a socio-emotional aspect to deeply understand the emotional landscape. Typically fines have been for breaking laws to ensure social order. In the times of COVID and lengthy shutdowns the same compliance strategies may not work as the issues are complex social problems arising out of restricting freedom which is the very basis of mental health.
The problem could escalate the more oppressive and authoritarian the government/s become, which increases vulnerability in people to health and safety disease, injuries or even suicide.
Fines strike deep fear into the heart of people and can cause anxiety, stress or depression or other physical illness. They panic if they have to go out believing they are doing the wrong then when it was once normal. It creates uncertainty and confusion. When people are in negative states their immune system drops substantially which will increase vulnerability to viral infection (SAR-COV-2 virus likely manifests as COVID-19).
Consultation is closer to a democratic inclusive model which includes the people impacted by decisions and empower joint outcomes producing a win/win. This process could include the reasons why restrictions are happening and exactly what it will do. Providing more data and information so people understand the rationale. It is important that government understand the reality on the ground not through surveillance cameras, algorithms or iPhones but actually through perhaps zoom consultation with HSR who have consulted with the public directly.
Information dissemination could move from physical distancing to more focus on boosting the immunity via learning healthy eating. Essential services might change from video games to health food shops to increase vital energy. Information may provide ways to exercise in restricted conditions – skipping for example. The consultation will provide positive approaches to mentally handle strict conditions of confinement akin to incarceration and powerlessness.
If there is no consultation (two way) this triggers survival, panic and paranoia evolving into mental health issues which may mean people don’t comply as they are not coping and becoming frightened as the virus is everywhere. I think of people who have compulsive disorders where they have to clean all the time as an example. This can be embedded through constant messaging around hygiene where everything is dirty, everything is dangerous, don’t touch this or that it is contagious when the reality is different. This is how mental health issues distort reality.
So this video below gives a prima on possible ways of developing new Health & Safety approaches to citizen wellbeing. It makes the case for consultation, feedback, input based on experience, identifying hazards and risks due to changes, new equipment and so on.
So these laws can be duplicated across the nation.