Disorders such as anxiety and depression allow a heavy price on individuals, families and economies, but most countries do not provide adequate support.
Mental health problems are widespread in each company and age group and remain the second cause of long -term disability. They increase health care costs for families and governments while costing the global economy about 1 billion of dollars each year in loss of productivity, said United Nations health experts.
Far from the track
The results are detailed in two new reports: World mental health today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024.
Together, they show that although there has been progress since 2020, the world is still far from the track to tackle the crisis scale. Reports will help to clarify the debate at a United Nations high -level meeting on non -transmitted diseases and mental health, which are held at the end of the month in New York.
“”The transformation of mental health services is one of the most urgent public health challenges“Said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Dr. Tedros.
“”Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities and economiesAn investment no country can afford to neglect. Each leader is responsible for acting urgently and ensuring that mental health care is treated not as a privilege, but as a basic right. »»
Disturbing gaps, unequal progress
The reports highlight several results struck:
- Women are disproportionately affected by mental health problems, with the most common anxiety and depression in both sexes.
- Suicide cost the estimated life of 727,000 people in 2021 and is a main death cause for young people. On current trends, the world will fall far from the United Nations objective to reduce the suicide deaths of a third by 2030, managing only a 12%reduction.
- Mental median public spending remains only 2% of health budgets, unchanged since 2017. While high -income countries spend up to $ 65 per person in mental health, low -income countries spend as little as four hundred.
- Mental health workforce is dangerously thin in many regions. There are only 13 mental health agents per 100,000 people worldwide.
- Less than one in 10 countries has fully switched to community care, most of them always based strongly on psychiatric hospitals. Almost half of admissions to hospitalized patients are involuntary and more than one in five patients remain hospitalized for more than a year.
Despite these challenges, there have been positive developments. More and more countries integrate mental health in primary health care and expand early intervention programs in schools and communities.
More than 80% of countries now include mental health and psychosocial support in emergency interventions, compared to less than 40% in 2020. TV services are also more available, although access is always uneven.
Call to a systemic change
Who urges governments to intensify investments and reform, warning that the current rate of progress is too slow to achieve global goals. The main priorities include:
- More equitable financing of mental health services
- Stronger legal protection and rights based on rights
- Greater investment in the mental health workforce
- Accelerated continuation to community -centered community care
The United Nations Health Agency stresses that Mental health must be treated as a fundamental human right. Without urgent action, millions of people will continue to suffer without support, and companies will support growing social and economic costs.
For more information on how the UN generally pleads for more resources to support mental health and well-being, Discover this story From our colleagues to www.un.org.
