Lancet
Commission on Mental Health
The global burden of disease due to mental disorders has risen
in all countries in the context of major demographic, environmental, and
sociopolitical transitions. 
Human rights violations and abuses persist in many countries,
with large numbers of people locked away in mental institutions or prisons, or
living on the streets, often without legal protection.
The Economic Cost- In terms of healthcare costs, lost productivity, etc, Lancet
estimates a massive economic toll exacted by mental illness from the global
economy—of nearly $16 trillion by 2030.
In 2016, the Economist Intelligence Unit had estimated that, by
2030, mental illness could knock off $11 trillion from the Chinese and Indian
GDP taken together
Mental Health Service Quality is worse than Physical Health
The quality of mental
health services is routinely worse than the quality of those for physical
health. Government investment and development assistance for mental health
remain pitifully small. Collective failure to respond to this global health
crisis results in monumental loss of human capabilities and avoidable
suffering.
Sustainable
Development Goal and WHO’s Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan
A historic
opportunity exists to reframe the global mental health agenda in the context of
the broad conceptualisation of mental health and disorder envisioned in the
SDGs. This opportunity is supported by the passing of WHO's Comprehensive
Mental Health Action Plan, the ratification of international conventions
protecting the rights of people with psychosocial disabilities, the convergence
of evidence from diverse scientific disciplines on the nature and causes of
mental health problems, the ubiquitous availability of digital technology, and
the growing consensus among diverse stakeholders about the need for action and
what this action should look like.
Global Data
Mental disorders
are on the rise in every country in the world and will cost the global economy
$16 trillion by 2030, according to a new Lancet Commission report on mental
health released on Tuesday. It exposes a “collective failure to respond to this
global health crisis,” causing long-lasting and preventable harm to people,
communities and economies.
India and
Mental Health – The Challenges
The number of
Psychiatrist per 100,000 Population is low compared with other countries like Brazil, China or United States.
Even though India’s
Mental Healthcare Act 2017 is one of the most progressive legislations on
mental health globally—it entitles people with mental illnesses to access
comprehensive medical and social care from public health apart from
safeguarding their other rights—on ground, mental health doesn’t seem a
priority at all.
The findings of the just
released report of Lancet Commission on Mental Health the bring India’s problem
into even starker relief.
In a country where nearly
7% of the population suffers from mental-health afflictions, 80% of those with
mental or substance-use disorders don’t
undergo any treatment for this.
By 2020, estimates are,
20% of the Indian population will be suffering from some form of mental illness
or the other.
This means India’s share
will be much larger than many comparator economies.
Inadequate
Policies
The policy response has
been sporadic and inadequate. As a result, thousands of mentally ill persons
are left without recourse—living under conditions of extreme insecurity, with
under-nutrition and violations of their human rights rife. To treat such
appalling neglect, the government needs to start with making mental health
services a key part of universal health coverage. The Lancet Commission report says
for many mental health indicators, India’s showing is on a par with some of the
worst globally.
Building
treatment facilities
Realising the vision,
however, will require substantial investment in increasing the strength of
mental healthcare professionals and building treatment facilities.
Implementing
the Policies
The implementation
lacks in practical way, so it should be certain that policies should be
implemented well.
Suicide is
the leading Cause of the death among the Youth
Suicide is now the
leading cause of death amongst the youth while WHO data shows that every 6th
Indian suffers from depression, making it the most depressed country in the
world.
