October 10 is World Mental Health Day

THE OVERALL objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health.

The day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It has intrinsic and instrumental value and is integral to persons’ well-being.

At any one time, a diverse set of individual, family, community and structural factors may combine to protect or undermine mental health. Although most people are resilient, people who are exposed to adverse circumstances, including poverty, violence, disability and inequality are at higher risk of developing a mental health condition.

Many mental health conditions can be effectively treated at relatively low cost, yet health systems remain significantly under-resourced and treatment gaps are wide all over the world. Mental health care is often poor in quality when delivered. People with mental health conditions often also experience stigma, discrimination and human-rights violations.

Mental health conditions include mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities, as well as other mental states associated with significant distress, impairment in functioning or risk of self-harm.

In 2019, 970 million people globally were living with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depression the most common.

Mental health conditions can cause difficulties in all aspects of life, including relationships with family, friends and community. They can result from, or lead to, problems at school and at work.

Globally, mental disorders account for one in six years lived with disability. People with severe mental health conditions die 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population. And having a mental health condition increases the risk of suicide and experiencing human-rights violations.

The economic consequences of mental health conditions are also enormous, with productivity losses significantly outstripping the direct costs of care.

All World Health Organization (WHO) member states are committed to implementing the comprehensive mental health action plan 2013–2030, which aims to improve mental health by strengthening governance, providing community-based care, implementing promotion and prevention strategies, and strengthening information systems, evidence and research.

WHO’s World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health For All called on all countries to accelerate progress towards implementing the action plan by deepening the value given to mental health, prioritising mental health promotion and prevention, and developing networks of community-based services.

SOURCE: World Health Organization