1 in 7 in Southeast Asia live with a mental health condition, treatment gap in some countries is ‘huge’: WHO official

UNIVERSAL RIGHT TO GOOD MENTAL HEALTH

On Mental Health Day this year, the WHO is focusing on the universal right to good mental health. 

“Good mental health is vital to our overall health and wellbeing in general, and everyone has the right to enjoy the highest attainable standards of mental health,” said Dr Bruni, adding that his organisation is working to ensure mental wellness is promoted and protected. 

“Yet all over the world and also in the Southeast Asia region, people with mental health conditions, unfortunately, continue to experience a wide range of human rights violations and many people are excluded from community and from society.

“Having a mental health condition should never be a reason to deprive a person from their human rights and to exclude them from participation in society.”

As of 2019, nearly a billion people, or about one in eight, around the world live with a mental health condition, according to the United Nations health agency.

Experts estimate that the figure is now much higher, amid recent global stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the ongoing climate crisis.

“Despite multiple studies on high return on investment for mental health, there is still a mismatch in terms of investment in mental health services,” said Dr Bruni.

“It’s important to invest more resources in mental health.”