In the 21st century, mental health is recognized now as one of the greatest global health crises. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that over a billion people were living with mental health conditions in 2021, largely due to anxiety and depressive disorders. Mental health conditions produce extreme pain and suffering for many individuals, as well as significant economic costs for societies.
The Shocking Truth
While a high prevalence of mental health disorders exists, we continue to see a vast majority of individuals without appropriate care. The WHO’s Mental Health Atlas 2024, shows that mental health services are severely underfunded. In fact, they only devote 2% of health budgets to mental health services globally, which has not increased since 2017.
An obvious sign that mental health is a low priority for government health funders and funders in low-income contexts is that they report spending $0.04 per person per year on mental health, while high-income countries report spending an average of $65 per person.
The consequences of the lack of urgent funding will only compound over the next few years. Mental health conditions are among the top contributors to disability burden globally and are also significant contributors to the global burden of disease. In 2021, young people aged 15-29 were especially affected by suicide, which was the leading cause of death in that age range, with approximately 700,000 deaths attributable to suicide globally per year (WHO, 2021).
World Health Organization
The Economic Impact
The economic costs related to mental health conditions is enormous. The WHO estimates that mental health conditions “is costing the global economy approximately $1 trillion annually in lost productivity”. This should concern every government and every organization throughout the world. It is also a strong argument for treating mental health as a vital aspect of economic development and resource allocation.
The Gap for Mental Health
The gap in mental health service accessibility in high and low-income countries is staggering. High-income countries have relatively solid mental health services, determined by, among many other factors, their proportionality in terms of regional staffing access.
Many make-do low-income countries do not have the appropriate infrastructure and trained individuals, which only increases the suffering of people living in low-income countries. This is a worst-case scenario for all countries. There are serious challenges faced by every country to meet the ever-present global demand for universal health coverage and UN Sustainable Development Goals (rural, urban and global).
The Need for Action
The global mental health crisis will require action on multiple levels. The WHO’s 2013-2030 Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan outlines a set of priority aims, including integration of mental health services into primary health care, mental health policies and legislation, and mental health workforce development. The list of objectives are not unreasonable, but not one of them is being accomplished, and the window to act has not only become smaller, but is getting smaller.
Recommendations for Action
The following steps offer a place to start the momentum needed to rectify the global crisis of mental health:
Increase funding for mental health services: Governments should allocate a higher proportion of health budget funding to mental health service delivery. We need to increase the average allocation for mental health services from approximately 2% to at least 5% globally
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Invest in and build the mental health workforce: There is value in training and retention for individuals in the mental health workforce, especially given the demand for service continues to increase.
Integrate mental health services into primary health care: Mental health services need to be included in primary health care services to reduce stigma and provide more access to care.
Increase public campaigns that enable individuals to access mental health services: There is benefit from advertising campaigns that to highlight the challenge of stigmas attached with mental health conditions.
Create country-to-country collaborations: Countries should work with one another to share resources, knowledge and best practices with the intent to alter public perception, improve access to mental health care and ultimately advance global mental health care.
Conclusion
The global crisis of mental health is complex, massive, and intimidating, and requires urgent, immediate, concerted, and coordinated action on a global scale. By increasing funding, developing the workforce, and integrating mental health services into primary health care networks, takes the first steps to a more positive path. A greater commitment to advancing mental health services on the global health agenda is not only a plan, but a route to improve the health and productivity of all countries.