WHO Mental health report

WHO MENTAL HEALTH REPORT 2019

One in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. Around 450 million people currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide. Treatments are available, but nearly two-thirds of people with a known mental disorder never seek help from a health professional. Stigma, discrimination and neglect prevent care and treatment from reaching people with mental disorders. Where there is neglect, there is little or no understanding. Where there is no understanding, there is neglect. According to the report, WHO seeks to break this vicious cycle and urges governments to seek solutions for mental health that are already available and affordable. Governments should move away from large mental institutions and towards community health care; and integrate mental health care into primary health care and the general health care system. "Mental illness is not a personal failure. In fact, if there is failure, it is to be found in the way we have responded to people with mental and brain disorders," said Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General of WHO. The report invites governments to make strategic decisions and choices in order to bring about positive change in the acceptance and treatment of mental disorders.

A lack of urgency, misinformation, and competing demands are blinding policymakers from taking stock of a situation where mental disorders figure among the leading causes of disease and disability in the world, says WHO. Depressive disorders are already the fourth leading cause of the global disease burden. The responsibility for action lies with governments, says WHO. Currently, more than 40% of countries have no mental health policy and over 30% have no mental health programme. Around 25% of countries have no mental health legislation. The magnitude of mental health burden is not matched by the size and effectiveness of the response it demands. Currently, more than 33% of countries allocate less than 1% of their total health budgets to mental health, with another 33% spending just 1% of their budgets on mental health.

The poor often bear the greater burden of mental disorders, both in terms of the risk in having a mental disorder and the lack of access to treatment. Constant exposure to severely stressful events, dangerous living conditions, exploitation, and poor health in general all contribute to the greater vulnerability of the poor. Good mental health is related to mental and psychological well-being. WHO’s work to improve the mental health of individuals and society at large

includes the promotion of mental well-being, the prevention of mental disorders, the protection of human rights and the care of people affected by mental disorders.

Ten facts of Mental Health

Mental, neurological and substance use disorders make up 10% of the global burden of disease and 30% of non-fatal disease burden. Around 1 in 5 of the world's children and adolescents have a mental disorder. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability, affecting 264 million people. About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14. Almost 800 000 people die by suicide every year; 1 person dies from suicide every 40 seconds. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in individuals aged 15-29 years. Around 1 in 9 people in settings affected by conflict have a moderate or severe mental disorder. People with severe mental disorders die 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population. Rates of mental health workers vary from below 2 per 100 000 population in low-income countries to over 70 per 100 000 in high-income countries.

Less than half of the 139 countries that have mental health policies and plans report having these aligned with human rights conventions.

The global economy loses about US$ 1 trillion per year in productivity due to depression and anxiety.

Tips for good mental health

Connect with people - People who take time to develop relationships feel better about themselves. Sharing problems and situations that make you stressed makes them easier to deal with.

Be active - Find any activity that you enjoy and make it part of your life. Keep learning - Learning new skills can boost your confidence and give you a sense of achievement. Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside helps to build confidence and thus deal with stress. Give to others - From small acts of kindness to large volunteering efforts giving can improve your mental wellbeing and help build your social networks. Be aware - Take notice of your feelings, thoughts, body and environment.

The Collapse of Thomas Cook

So many business operators in the tourism industry across Africa have raised concern for a possible disastrous tourist season after the announcement of the collapse of Thomas Cook, a British owned leading tour operator. Some of the hoteliers expressed concerns that the liquidation of Thomas Cook is going to have an impact on the employment sector. A country that has been hard-hit is The Gambia where the tourism sector plays a vital role in the country's economy. The tourism sector in The Gambia creates over 150,000 jobs either directly or indirectly every year which is about 19 per cent of the country’s total employment, according to a 2017 report by the World Travel and Tourism Council. Unemployment rate in Gambia has recently registered an all - time high of 9.50 percent and the liquidation of the tour operator is expected to increase the figures. The population of the Gambia is mainly young with more than half (about 63.55% of two million) below 25 years. Most employees in this sector come from the youth cadre of the population and form a lion share of the unemployment percentage. Even though the Dutch, Scandinavians, Germans and Belgians are known for visiting Gambia, English tourists make the larger number. According to reports from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of The Gambia, over two hundred thousand tourists made it to The Gambia in the 2018/19 season and over 50 percent of them came from the United Kingdom on Thomas Cook flights, while the rest came from other parts of Europe, including Scandinavia.