What do you think mental health policy will look under this government, and is it enough to address the sector crisis?
Dr Ahona Guha: [The Albanese Government have] promised $1 billion in additional funding; most of it is going to go to youth mental health and centers for complex care needs. I think it’s going to be a start, but it’s a drop in the ocean in terms of the outstanding need. Mental health has been vastly under resourced, and we are seeing the ripple impacts of that now, so it’s certainly not going to solve the issue; it also leaves questions around the missing middle, given so much of the focus is on youth and older adults.
One of the key things I’ve noticed is there’s no emphasis on the broader social determinants of health – things like housing, access to education, a life free of family violence. These have long term implications for mental health, and what I’ve seen successive governments do is try to dissociate mental health from these key structural conditions.
View this post on Instagram
I’m glad there’s some investment in mental health. I’m cautious as well, because I’ve seen mental health funded in a very flashy way and new services come online and then get defunded very quietly. I’m hopeful but not overly optimistic.
You’ve written a book called ‘Life Skills for a Broken World’ – why is the world broken?
Dr Ahona Guha: I couldn’t give you one answer as to why the world is broken, but if I did have to, I’d probably say neoliberal capitalism and the way we’ve learned to use the world just for profit. It’s such a bizarre system when you stop to think about the fact we expect infinite growth on a very finite planet.
I started thinking about the world being ‘broken’ around 2021, 2022 – I was looking around and seeing geopolitical strife, anxiety, and cost of living rising…if anything, I’d say this concept of a ‘broken world’ feels even more relevant now than when I first wrote the book.
As to why the world is broken? It’s probably a range of factors, but it feels like humans have lost the capacity to stop and assess what feels meaningful. There’s this push toward acquiring more, buying more and having flashier lifestyles, none of which, research shows, actually makes us happy. We’ve fixed our gaze on the wrong thing, and everyone’s paying the price for it.
View this post on Instagram
You’ve written about how cognitive psychology can help us understand the polarity on Gaza – how can it help us process the current responses to Pahalgam?
Dr Ahona Guha: One of the key things I would say is understanding propaganda; I’ve noticed a lot of propaganda and disinformation playing out on social media and it’s been incredibly hard to track what’s actually happening. So, being across critical thinking – who’s presenting this information, what is the subtext, what are they trying to influence, are they trying to bring up emotion, can I verify this or is this fake news? That’s going to be important, because if we are taking in false information designed to elicit strong emotion and then responding with that, we’re probably going to be advocating for war or saying hateful things which is going to make the whole situation worse.
The other thing I’d be encouraging people to do is look out for their own biases – if I believe this, what is the other side, what are the other possibilities here? Just being aware of why we believe what we believe is important.
[In terms of navigating debate], I think knowing when you want to engage in conversation and when you don’t is important. If you’re constantly refreshing the news, which honestly, I did the first couple of days because I was quite anxious, or if you’re in a few WhatsApp groups, you’re probably bombarded by [information] – it can be helpful to know your focus is going to be split, your concentration is going to be poorer and you’re going to have some cognitive resources offline.
A strategy I use is to read longer form pieces. So, instead of looking at Instagram or quick jazzy headlines, [I’m] looking for deeper sources and longer articles so I can understand things in more detail and take in fewer but longer pieces of information.
What’s something you’re currently listening to/reading/playing/watching?
Dr Ahona Guha: I am currently reading Broken Brains by Jamila Risvi and Rosie Waterland. It’s about having sickness within yourself or the family, and I found it reassuring and comforting to know that other people have gone through that. Also, a good old fashioned murder mystery – The Creeper by Margaret Hickey, enjoying that very much. I’m not a huge TV person, but I returned to watching House as a comfort show.
View this post on Instagram
What’s a word that you like in a South Asian language, and what does it mean?
Dr Ahona Guha: ‘Asha’ is probably one that comes to mind, it means ‘hope’ in Hindi. Hope is quite a key factor in life for me, when things have been quite rough, I’ve always held on to hope.
And finally: Soan Papdi or Papdi Chaat?
Dr Ahona Guha: Soan Papdi, because I have a massive sweet tooth.
Cutting Chai with Lakshmi Ganapathy is a monthly series of bite-sized interviews with prominent South Asians showcasing their career and personality and celebrating their South Asian Australian identity.
READ ALSO: Cutting Chai with Amrit Gill
