Investing in Africa’s mental health improves lives — and the economy
Both the WHO and UN recognise the growing, global burden of mental-health disorders, writes Crick Lund, but with the right type of interventions, there is hope
The growing burden of mental disorders is a worldwide problem. This was recently acknowledged by the World Health Organisation (WHO) when the UN secretary-general António Guterres said that "one in four people experience a mental health episode in their lifetime, but the issue remains largely neglected". He confirmed the UN’s commitment "to working with partners to promote full mental health and wellbeing for all". Mental health problems are particularly neglected in developing countries and 45% of the world's population live in a country with less than one psychiatrist per 100,000 people. It is predicted that by 2030, depression will be the second leading health-related disability in the world, and an estimated one third of SA’s population is affected by depression at some time during the course of their lives. Great strides have been made by successfully treating people with mental illness, improving the quality of their lives and wellbeing. However, resource and capacity constrai...
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