WHO World Mental Health Disorder: A Global Crisis Requiring Urgent Action

The World Health Organisation recently released reports on mental health, including the World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health For All (2022) and the recent report comprising  “World Mental Health Today” and the “Mental Health Atlas 2024”, which highlight an alarming picture of our world’s mental health disorders. The report was taken from comprehensive studies of data from 144 countries and represents the worldwide mental health conditions, resources, and urgent gaps in care delivery.

Key Highlights of the report  : 

 Here are some of the key highlights of the report:

 Global Mental Health Issue :

• Based on the WHO World Mental Health Disorders report, more than 1 billion people are living with mental disorders, yet most of them do not receive adequate care and facilities.

 Most Common Disorders:

• Among the mental disorders, anxiety and depression alone accounted for more than two-thirds of the population. A rapid increase is seen between 2011 and 2021.

 Most Common Disorders:

• In 2021, an estimated 727,000 people took their own lives across all ages. It remains one of the leading causes of death among young people worldwide. Despite global initiatives, progress in reducing deaths by suicide is still too slow to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).

Gender Disparities:

• Half of the mental disorders begin at the early age of 18 years. Younger adults aged 20–29 years are estimated to have the largest increases since 2011. Females are more often experiencing anxiety, depression, and eating disorder issues than men.

Lack of  quality care :

• Mental health accounts for only 2% of health budgets, unchanged since 2017. And less than 10% of countries fully support community-based care models, with most still in early stages.

Consequences of Mental Disorders:

Mental disorders can have many consequences that affect multiple areas of a person’s life.

Personal and Emotional Effects: Mental disorders often cause emotional distress, changes in mood, thinking patterns, and behaviour. 

Social and Relationship Impact: It can strain relationships with family and friends, thus leading to social isolation.

Occupational and Educational Consequences: It can affect work or school performance, difficulty in concentration, memory problems, or interpersonal relationships. This can lead to academic struggles and job loss.

Physical Health Effects: Depression and anxiety are linked to increased risk of heart disease, weakened immune function, and other health problems. Some conditions may also affect sleep, appetite, and energy levels.

Daily Functioning: Basic activities like self-care, household management, and maintaining routines can become challenging. 

Initiative Taken To Improve Mental Health in India 

Steps Taken By the Indian Government for World Mental Health Disorders:

According to the World Mental Health Disorders report, the WHO estimates that the burden of mental health problems in India is 2443 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 10000 population; the age-adjusted suicide rate per 100000 population is 21.1. 

India has a progressive mental health policy framework centred on the National Mental Health Policy (2014) and Mental Healthcare Act (2017), focusing on rights-based care and community integration.

• National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) – 1982

 The Indian government had launched the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in 1982 to ensure that mental healthcare becomes an integral part of the general healthcare system.

• The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) was introduced under the NMHP to expand community mental health services, which cover 767 districts.
• Mental Healthcare Act 2017: This landmark legislation established mental healthcare as a fundamental right, decriminalized suicide attempts, and mandated that insurance companies provide coverage for mental health disorders.
• National tele mental health programme (Tele MANAS 2022)  Tele MANAS provides free, 24/7 mental health support to individuals through a national toll-free helpline (14416 / 1800-89-14416). Available in 20 Indian languages.

• Self-Harm Prevention in India: According to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 309, attempting to take one’s life is treated as a punishable offence with imprisonment of up to 1 year. The National Strategy for Self-Harm Prevention in India aims to reduce deaths by self-harm by 10% by 2030.

Global

Recent Initiatives taken by other countries for World  Mental Health Disorders:

• WHO Leadership Initiatives (2024-2025): The World Health Organisation has released two major reports in September 2024 – “World Mental Health Today” and “Mental Health Atlas 2024”

• Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030: This updated plan sets out clear actions for Member States, the WHO Secretariat and international partners to promote mental health and well-being for all.
• Paro Declaration: To provide universal Access to People-centred Mental Health Care and Services.

Mental Health ETHICAL ISSUE:

Ethical issues of mental health comprise complex issues of individual well-being, which lead to social isolation. Some of the ethical issues include

• Vulnerable Population: Individuals with severe mental health disorders may lack decision-making capacity.

• Autonomy vs. Beneficence – Respecting a patient’s right to make their own decisions even when those decisions might seem harmful, versus acting in what professionals believe is the patient’s best interest
• Confidentiality vs. Duty to Warn – Maintaining patient privacy versus protecting potential victims when patients express intent to harm others
• Involuntary Treatment – When, if ever, it’s ethical to treat someone against their will, particularly in cases of severe mental illness where insight may be impaired

Conclusion:

There is no health without mental health disorders. Mental health is a lot more than the absence of illness; it is an intrinsic part of our individual and collective health and well-being. We need to transform our attitudes, actions, and approaches to promote and protect our mental health disorders and to provide care to those who need it.