Mental diseases affect around 1 billion people

The need for psychological help is growing like a snowball. During the pandemic alone, the number of cases of mental illness, in particular anxiety and depression, increased by 25 percent worldwide, and not everyone has the opportunity to receive the necessary treatment. This is reported by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 2019, nearly one billion people worldwide were affected by mental disorders, 14 percent of whom were adolescents. More than one percent of all deaths in the world are associated with suicide, which is the result of a severe mental condition. Nearly 60 percent of all suicides were committed by people under the age of 50. Mental disorders lead to increased unemployment, disability, and premature death. People with severe mental illness die on average 10-20 years earlier than everyone else on the planet.

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Most death occurs due to the development of preventable physical diseases. “Mental health contributes to physical health, and the new report provides compelling evidence for action,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus. He added that investing in mental health is an investment in improving lives. Tedros noted the close relationship between mental health and social well-being, human rights, and socio-economic development.

He is confident that transformations in mental health can create real benefits not only for individuals but also for communities and countries as a whole. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, effective, affordable, and quality mental health care was available to a limited number of patients—71 percent of people with psychotic disorders were left without treatment. While 70 percent of people with psychosis are referred for treatment in high-income countries, only 12 percent of those who need it are in low-income countries.

Mental hospital in Sierra Leone There is often stigmatization, discrimination, and violations of the rights of people with mental illness among the population and in institutions providing care. Twenty countries still criminalize attempted suicide. The poorest segments of the population are most at risk of deteriorating mental health in a wide variety of countries. There are significant gaps in depression care coverage in all countries. Even in high-income countries, only one-third of people with depression receive formal help for depression.