Center for Mental Health of Children and Adolescents (CSMIJ) at L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona). Gianluca Battista
The multiplication and intensification of current crises is putting even greater pressure on people’s mental health and the services available to support them. More and more people are suffering from the ongoing impacts of the Covid pandemic, the resurgence of climate-related emergencies and the ongoing consequences of conflict and displacement in many regions of the world. Meanwhile, stigma and discrimination against people with mental health problems and psychosocial disabilities continue in our schools, workplaces and communities.
The lack of quality care and support needed to address mental health needs is expected to increase as the number of people with a mental illness – up to one billion people (one in eight of us) – and the Persistent and traditional diseases are increasing. Lack of investment in health services in this area: the consequences for the health, happiness and well-being of millions of people are easily foreseeable.
The Covid pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of mental health systems worldwide, exacerbating existing problems and bringing new ones to light. In Chile, as in many other countries, the impact of the pandemic on mental health has been significant. Isolation, uncertainty and disruption to daily life impacted individuals and communities, highlighting the importance of resilient support systems.
Taking into account everything that has happened in this century, we need to change the conception and way we approach mental health in order to improve it. We must change our mindset and prioritize mental health as an integral part of our health and well-being, as well as a fundamental human right and a fundamental contribution to public health, social well-being and sustainable development.
We must strengthen the delivery of mental health services so that the full range of mental health needs are met through a community network of accessible, affordable and high quality services and supports.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is working closely with countries to achieve this goal. The WHO Special Initiative on Mental Health is a good example of how increasing capacity at the primary health care level can improve access to services for people who need them most. Since 2019, the special initiative has expanded access to local mental health services, which previously did not exist, to 40 million people in the nine participating countries.
Although the healthcare sector can contribute a lot, it cannot function alone. As ministers explained at the World Mental Health Summit organized by the Argentine government last week, transforming mental health care requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to its promotion, protection and care.
We must also transform the environments that influence mental health to reduce risks and strengthen protective factors so that everyone, regardless of who they are, has an equal opportunity to thrive and achieve the highest possible level of well-being.
In Chile, the government has taken on the challenge of ensuring that no one has to struggle alone with their mental health problems. With this aim in mind, the Building Mental Health strategy will strengthen leadership in this area across all sectors, improve the delivery of services and support in emergencies and strengthen data, evidence and research on the topic. A key factor is the integration of mental health services into primary care and community centers, enabling their comprehensive approach alongside social services at the community level.
It also aims to prevent suicide, which is a major public health problem due to its high burden on young people around the world: it is the second leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24.
Ambitious strategies to protect and improve mental health require new levels of leadership and political commitment, as well as much greater resource allocation in health and other sectors. As seen in Chile, for example, long-term attention and commitment to the mental health of the entire population can bring real and significant benefits over time.
However, there are too many countries where more action needs to be taken to ensure people receive the appropriate, high-quality care they need.
With World Mental Health Day celebrated this Tuesday and the focus placed on defending this human right, it is important to remember the large number of people who continue to suffer coercion, abuse and neglect in mental health services and who are denied the right your treatment will be refused upon comment. We have a shared responsibility to ensure that treatment and health care respect people’s human rights and support their recovery.
To help countries in this regard, WHO and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have just published new transformative guidelines on mental health, human rights and legislation to help countries determine their laws and policies in this area health will be consistent with international human rights standards.
We call on individuals and communities to recognize mental health as a universal human right, improve their knowledge, be aware of the problem and take action to promote and protect the mental health of all people, and call on governments to take the necessary actions to take action to ensure that people can achieve the highest possible level of mental health.
Gabriel Boric He is the President of the Republic of Chile. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus He is Director General of the World Health Organization.