The impact of COVID-19 on the mental wealth of Australia

Head of systems modelling at the Brain and Mind Centre, A/Prof Jo-An Atkinson, told the National Press Club luncheon today that prompt action could cushion future impacts of the coronavirus on mental health and the economy. American architect and systems theorist, Richard Buckminster Fuller, once said: "There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly." In my youth, these were words that inspired hope, that even from humble beginnings as a daughter of Italian immigrants; in Australia, the land of opportunity, one could hope to reach their full potential and make a unique contribution to science and society. I wonder whether the youth of today will have the same opportunities. In the face of the dual crises of a pandemic and global recession, what price will we pay in lost human potential?  What contributions to civil society, to the arts, to science and technology, to the economy, and to humanity will be lost as hardships increase across communities, and the trajectories for young people, and other vulnerable groups are stifled by diminished opportunity? We may never be able to quantify the true extent of this loss, but the concept of Mental Wealth (a term coined by UK Professor, John Beddington) provides an important starting point. A nation's Mental Wealth is defined as the collective cognitive and emotional resources of citizens. It includes people's mental capital (which is their cognitive ability and emotional intelligence). It also includes mental health and well-being which underpin the ability to work productively, creatively and build and maintain strong positive relationships with others.