Global Mental Health Issues Saw Sharp Rise During Pandemic: WHO
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published June 18, 2022 | 10:19 PM
Nearly one billion people worldwide suffer from some form of mental disorder, according to latest UN data a worrying figure as it includes around one in seven teenagers
UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jun, 2022 ) :Nearly one billion people worldwide suffer from some form of mental disorder, according to latest UN data a worrying figure as it includes around one in seven teenagers.
To make matters worse, in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, rates of common conditions such as depression and anxiety, went up by more than 25 per cent, the UN health agency (WHO) said on Friday.
In its largest review of mental health since the turn of the century, the World Health Organization has urged more countries to get to grips with worsening conditions.
"Everyone's life touches someone with a mental health condition," WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. "Good mental health translates to good physical health and this new report makes a compelling case for change.
"The inextricable links between mental health and public health, human rights and socioeconomic development mean that transforming policy and practice in mental health can deliver real, substantive benefits for individuals, communities and countries everywhere. Investment into mental health is an investment into a better life and future for all." Even before COVID-19 hit, only a small fraction of people in need of help had access to effective, affordable and quality mental health treatment, WHO said, citing latest available global data from 2019.
For example, more than 70 per cent of those suffering from psychosis worldwide, do not get the help they need, the UN agency said.
The gap between rich and poor nations highlights unequal access to healthcare, as seven in 10 people with psychosis receive treatment in high-income countries, compared to only 12 per cent in low-income countries.
The situation is more dramatic for cases of depression, WHO said, pointing to gaps in assistance across all countries including high-income ones - where only one third of people who suffer from depression receive formal mental health care.
And although high-income countries offer "minimally-adequate" treatment for depression in 23 per cent of cases, this drops to just three per cent in low and lower middle-income countries.
"We need to transform our attitudes, actions and approaches to promote and protect mental health, and to provide and care for those in need," WHO's Tedros said. "We can and should do this by transforming the environments that influence our mental health and by developing community-based mental health services capable of achieving universal health coverage for mental health.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Tennis: ATP Barcelona Open results - 1st update
Swiatek's perfect 10 in Stuttgart as Vondrousova stuns Sabalenka
Arandu's roads closed due to flooding
Oil tanker catches fire in Islamabad’s Blue Area
Pakistan committed to ensure safety of foreign nationals: FO
Tennis: WTA Stuttgart results - 1st update
Four passengers injured as train hit an empty vehicle
Over- speeding bus crushed to death two bike riders
Turkey's Freedom Flotilla ready to set sail for Gaza
French teen dies from heart failure after knife attack near school
Iranians appear unfazed by Isfahan blasts
UAF celebrates Int'l Chinese Language Day
More Stories From World
-
Togo lawmakers approve contested political reform
5 hours ago -
NATO must choose 'whether we indeed are allies': Zelensky
5 hours ago -
US House to vote on Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan aid package
5 hours ago -
Calls for calm after reported Israeli strike on Iran
6 hours ago -
IMF calls on EU to deepen single market integration to boost growth
6 hours ago -
Second Ecuadoran mayor killed ahead of anti-crime referendum: police
6 hours ago
-
Oil, gas drilling blocked in Alaska wilds as Biden seeks green cred
7 hours ago -
Man sets self on fire outside Trump trial
7 hours ago -
Turkey's Freedom Flotilla ready to set sail for Gaza
8 hours ago -
French teen dies from heart failure after knife attack near school
8 hours ago -
Iranians appear unfazed by Isfahan blasts
8 hours ago -
Ecuador mayor killed ahead of anti-crime referendum: police
9 hours ago