“We are experiencing a global mental health crisis,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message on Saturday to launch the “World Mental Health Report 2022: Transforming Mental Health for All.”
Guterres warned on June 18 that nearly a billion people globally, including millions of children and young people, “have some mental health condition.” The main problem is that most of them lack access to adequate psychological treatment.
More than half of suicides occurred before the age of 50
The World Health Organization (WHO) points out that in 2019, almost a billion people were affected by a mental disorder, also affecting 14% of adolescents worldwide.
Suicides accounted for more than 1 in 100 deaths, and 58% of these occurred before the age of 50.
According to the WHO statement, people with severe mental disorders die on average 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population, most of the time from preventable physical illnesses.
On the other hand, sexual abuse in childhood, as well as bullying, are important causes of depression in young people and adults.
People with abuse-prone mental health conditions
“Services can be inaccessible or unaffordable. Stigma also prevents people from seeking psychological help”
People with mental health conditions are at higher risk for physical and emotional abuse, Guterres warns.
He adds that these people are more likely to be denied education or even employment, as well as being more prone to other human rights violations.
“The costs, both human and financial, are enormous. Just the depression and anxiety cost the world economy around one billion dollars annually“.
Covid-19 pandemic increased health problems but raised awareness of the importance of psychological treatment
Guterres points out that although the COVID-19 pandemic has increased mental health problems, it has also contributed to a greater understanding of the importance of good mental health.
“Unfortunately, in most countries, mental health remains the most neglected area of health policy,” acknowledges the United Nations Secretary-General.
The World Health Organization has prepared a report that will be used as a roadmap to guide countries to improve their mental health systems.
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The report “highlights where improvements are needed and how they can be achieved, beginning in infancy and continuing through all stages of life.”
“It sets out ways to reduce risk, build resilience and dismantle barriers that prevent people with mental health conditions from fully participating in society,” he added in his speech.
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