Even before the pandemic began, about one billion people in the world suffered from some form of mental disorder, according to the UN agency in its largest mental health study in the world, spanning two decades. to complete.
In the first year of the pandemic, levels of depression and anxiety rose by a quarter.
However, the investment required to treat these cases has not increased because, according to the World Health Organization, only 2% of the national health budget and less than 1% of total international assistance to the health sector is allocated to health. of the mind. report.
“These numbers are very low,” Mark van Ommeren of the World Health Organization’s Department of Mental Health told a press conference, and the report found that nearly one in eight people in the world suffers from mental illness. thought. .
This situation is even worse for people living in conflict zones, where approximately one in five people suffer from a mental health problem.
Young people, women and people who already have mental health problems are more affected by the effects and restrictions of the pandemic, van Ommeren said.
The Global Mental Health Report also notes significant differences across countries in terms of access to mental health care: while more than 70% of people with psychosis receive treatment in high-income countries, 12 % only in low -income countries, the message said. . van Ommeren.
The representative of the World Health Organization called for an end to the negative stigmatization of people with psychological problems, noting that 20 countries around the world still criminalize suicide attempts.
Remembering that one in twenty suicide attempts end in death, van Ommeren pointed out that suicide still causes more than 1% of the world’s deaths.
“Investing in mental health is an investment in a better life and a better future for all,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
Source: Al-Akhbar
