Understanding mental health in the visual arts 2.
Mental health in the general population is considered a major global crisis by the World Health Organization (WHO). Look at these numbers about mental health around the world and in South Africa: • One in four people globally are afflicted by mental illness at some point in their lives, with women twice as likely as men to be diagnosed. • Two thirds of people with severe mental health challenges across the world never receive the care they need. • According to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), mental health challenges are considered the third biggest illness in South Africa. • The World Mental Health Survey compared the state of mental health in 15 countries and found that South Africa has the second highest rate of substance abuse, sixth highest rate of anxiety disorders and seventh highest rate of mood disorders. • South Africa’s health system currently struggles to meet the needs of mental health treatment across the country. According to the WHO, there are 23 psychiatric hospitals across the entire country, providing a total of 18 beds per 100 000 people in the population. There are 0.28 psychiatrists, 0.32 psychologists, and 0.4 social workers working in mental health per 100 000 people. We don’t currently have reliable data about the nature of mental health in the visual arts in South Africa, but anecdotal evidence and
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