INVESTING IN MENTAL HEALTH

TIME FOR ACTIONIf you are:

SCALING UP SERVICES

For more information:http://www.who.int/mental_health/en/

http://www.who.int/mental_health

A concerned citizen/person with a mental disorder• Supportandmobilizepeoplewithmental

disordersinyourcountrytoself-organizeandadvocateforchange.

• Educateyourselfandraiseawarenessaboutmentalhealthandhumanrightsissues.

• Advocateforincreasedfundingformentalhealthtoimproveaccessandqualityoftreatmentandcare.

• Promotepositiveattitudes,non-discrimination,andequalopportunitiesforpeoplewithmentaldisorders.Volunteertohelp.

A health-care provider• Respectthedignityandpromotetherightsof

peoplewithmentaldisorders.• Ensureprovisionofgoodqualitymental

healthcarewithinthehealthcaresystemandcommunity.

A policy-maker• Identifynewresourcesformentalhealth,

e.g.increasingtaxonalcoholandtobaccomayincreaseresourcesforhealth.

• Reallocateinvestmentfromlargehospitalstoprimaryhealthcareandcommunitymentalhealthcare.

• Fosterinter-sectoralcollaboration.Adoptandpromotementalhealthpolicies,lawsandservicesthatsupportcomprehensiveeducation,employment,housingandsocialservicesforpeoplewithmentaldisorders.

A donor, foundation or NGO • Includementalhealthinallhealth-related

programmes.• Advocateforpoliciesthatpromotetherights

ofpeoplewithmentaldisorders.• Supportthedevelopmentandfunctioningof

servicesinprimarycareandthecommunity.

DepressiontreatmentinprimarycareisascosteffectiveasantiretroviraltreatmentforHIV/AIDS.Therearesuccessful,affordableandcost-effectiveinterventionsforothermentaldisorderssuchasschizophrenia,alcoholuseandepilepsy.

Investment needed:US$3-4percapita

Result:foreveryUS$1millioninvested,350-700healthyyearsofliferestored

FACE THE PROBLEM: INVEST IN MENTAL HEALTH

It is cost effective and it is a right! Mental Health Gap

Action Programme Intervention GuideAcomprehensive,evidence-based,easy-to-follow,guidefordeliveringmentalhealthcareinterventionsinprimarycareandcommunitysettings.

Cost-effective interventions existCurrentmentalhealthspendinginlow–andmiddle-incomecountriesisUS$0.30percapita.

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© World Health Organization 2011. All rights reserved.

Is it worth it?

Mental disorders and other health conditionsMentaldisordersarecloselyrelatedtoarangeofotherpriorityconditionsincludingHIV/AIDS,maternalandchildhealthandnon-communicablediseases. Upto63%ofHIV-positivepeopleinlow-andmiddle-incomecountriesalsohavedepression.

THE BURDEN OF MENTAL DISORDERSTheburdenofmentaldisordersgivesrisetohugesocialandeconomicconsequencestoindividuals,theirfamiliesandwholecommunitiesorpopulations.Neuropsychiatricdisorderscause1/3ofyearslostduetodisabilityworldwideandaccountfor13%oftotaldiseaseburden.80%oftheglobalburdenofdiseaseduetomentaldisordersisfoundinlow-andmiddle-incomecountries.Amongalldisabilities,mentaldisordersareassociatedwiththehighestratesofunemployment,between70%and90%.

THE SERVICE GAPMentalhealthservicesareinadequateinmostcountries.80%ofpeoplewithmentaldisordersindevelopingcountriesdonotreceivetreatment.

THE FACTS

Wrong investments?

Example 1 80%ofthementalhealthbudgetindevelopingcountriesisspentonmentalhospitalsthatserveonly7%ofpatients.However,themajorityofpeoplewithmentaldisorderscanbesuccessfullytreatedthroughmentalhealthservicesintegratedinprimarycareandthecommunity.

Example 2Theservicegapforchildrenandadolescentsismuchhigherthanforadults.Thisisinspiteofthefactthatprovidingservicestochildrenandadolescentsoftenpreventslifelongdisabilities.

Peoplewithco-morbiddepressionarethreetimeslesslikelytocomplywithrecommendedtreatmentplans,resultinginhigherhealth-carecostsandincreasedriskofdisabilityandmortality.

LITTLE INVESTMENTLow–andmiddle-incomecountriesspendlessthan2%oftheirtotalhealthbudgetonmentalhealth.Inaddition,lowerincomecountriesallocateasmallerproportionoftheirhealthbudgettomentalhealththanhigherincomecountries.

“If someone has a broken arm, you feel sorry for them. But when (the problem) is psychiatric, people don’t know how to react because they can’t see anything.But just because you can’t see someone’s pain, it doesn’t mean they don’t need your care and support.”Samoan woman with bipolar disorder, 29 years old, Auckland, New Zealand

Depressionis the leading cause of disability worldwide

33%of countries have no mental health budget

1 in 4 people will be affected by a mental disorder at some point in their lives

Every 40 seconds someone commits suicide

4 out of 5 people with mental disorders in developing countries don’t receive treatment

Almost 50%of all mental disorders begin before the age of 14

2.5 million deathsper year are due to the harmful use of alcohol

50 millionpeople worldwide have epilepsy

Treatment gap rates (%) by disorder (world)

Schizophrenidepression

Alcohol usedisorder

Child/adolescentmental disorders

100

80

60

40

20

0

Treated Untreated

Prevalence of co-morbid depression in non-communicable diseases

40

30

20

10

0

HypertensionDiabetesCancer MyocardialInfarction

a Major