Today is World Mental Health Day. It is marked every year on October 10 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to raise awareness about mental health around the world and to mobilize efforts to support those experiencing mental health issues.
The theme for World Mental Health Day 2022 is ‘Make mental health for all a global priority”.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide.
According to the World Health Organisation, at least one in eight of us is affected by mental health issues. For a world population which is estimated at about 8 billion, that shows an average of about a billion people with mental health issues.
An estimated 12 billion working days are lost each year to depression and anxiety, which the WHO estimates costs the global economy nearly $1 trillion. Even where help is available, stigma and discrimination prevent many people from getting the care they need.
In recent years, there has been increasing acknowledgement of the important role mental health plays in achieving global development goals, as illustrated by the inclusion of mental health in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Depression is one of the leading causes of disability. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds.
People with severe mental health conditions die prematurely – as much as two decades early – due to preventable physical conditions.
Despite progress in some countries, people with mental health conditions often experience severe human rights violations, discrimination, and stigma.
Public attitudes towards mental illness are more rejecting than accepting. Social rejection increases with increasing severity of disturbance in behaviour.
Public attitudes towards the mentally ill are related to social class as measured by occupational status and to age of the respondent.
Many mental health conditions can be effectively treated at relatively low cost, yet the gap between people needing care and those with access to care remains substantial. Effective treatment coverage remains extremely low.
Increased investment is required on all fronts: for mental health awareness to increase understanding and reduce stigma; for efforts to increase access to quality mental health care and effective treatments; and for research to identify new treatments and improve existing treatments for all mental disorders.