Mental Health: A Global Disability

[xchrom]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/06/09



On a global scale, the magnitude of undiagnosed and unaddressed mental health problems continues to be high. It is estimated that 120 million people globally suffer from depression, 50 million from epilepsy, 37 million from Alzheimer's disease
and 24 million from schizophrenia. About one million people worldwide commit suicide every year, and approximately 20 million unsuccessfully attempt suicide. In the United States, suicide is the eighth leading cause of death -- every 17 minutes another person ends their life.

According to a World Bank study, mental health problems are a major cause of lost years of quality life. In spite of that, allocations to treat mental health problems in national health budgets are disproportionately small in relation to other diseases and the serious health consequences they pose.

Despite these efforts, the lack of effective mechanisms to deal with mental health issues remains pervasive and has been found in all countries surveyed in a WHO study. The most pressing need, however, is found in several developing countries. Out of the 191 surveyed, almost 25 percent do not have a national policy or legislation on mental health issues.
As indicated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the situation is worse among the poorest sectors of the population, whose "lack of access to affordable treatment makes the course of the illness more severe and debilitating, leading to a vicious circle of poverty and mental health disorders."

Although treatments are available for many mental health problems, almost two-thirds of sufferers never seek help from a health professional. In many cases this is the result of a lack of economic means, and in others it is a reflection of the stigma frequently associated with mental illness. According to WHO, stigma, discrimination, and neglect prevent care and treatment from reaching people affected with mental disorders.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. DU Rec