World Mental Health Day 2022 – “Making Mental Health Global Priority”

Highlights:

World Mental Health Day creates awareness of mental health issues on 10th October every year
Keeping this COVID-19 pandemic situation in mind - mental health concerns are so very important
This year’s campaign will focus on how to overcome inequality in access to mental health services

World Mental Health Day is an annual celebration on 10th October to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of people suffering from mental illness ().

Mental health is one of the most neglected areas of public health. About 1 billion people are living with mental disorders and one person dies every 40 seconds by committing suicide ().

Social stigma, discrimination, and human rights abuses of people with mental health conditions further precipitate the situation of mental health disorders.

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‘World Mental Health Day 2022 gives voice to make sure that mental health is treated on a par with physical health globally. This is so very important in these COVID times’
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Why it is Important to Celebrate Mental Health Day?

“There still are so many people who are suffering in silence. And there’s still this stigma attached to mental health which we’ve got to completely obliterate.” - Prince William

Identify the Problem

- The idea of mental health is an abstract concept and this day allows us to think beyond outdated perceptions by releasing the stigma attached to seeking professional help. When the burden and fear are removed from mental health issues, it becomes easier to fight them.

Sharing the Pain

- This day reminds a person, that the mental health issues are universal and that person is not alone in the suffering. Knowing about other people’s journey through this crisis and how they made it out, can uplift people suffering from mental health issues and provide hope.

Proper Treatment

- When the understanding of mental health grows, the ability to seek proper treatment also raises. The right therapist and necessary medication can operate mental health issues at a more professional level ().

The global impact will be more if we accept the mental health crisis and more funding is put into research and mental healthcare.

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Mental Health & Well-Being Becomes a Global Priority for All

This year’s theme ‘Make mental health and well-being for all a global priority' emphasizes the urgent need to close the huge gap in access to care for people with mental health problems and treat them equally to physical health issues ().

Many aspects of mental health have been challenged before the pandemic in 2019. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a global crisis for mental health, fuelling short- and long-term stresses and undermining the mental health of millions.

It’s time to “flip the script” on mental health in the United States, the then First Lady said at the Change Direction campaign in 2015.

Estimates show a rise in both anxiety and depressive disorders at more than 25% during the first year of the pandemic. At the same time, mental health services have been severely disrupted and the treatment gap for mental health conditions has widened.

Growing social and economic inequalities, protracted conflicts, violence, and public health emergencies affect whole populations, threatening progress toward improved well-being; a staggering 84 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced in 2021.

We must deepen the value and commitment we give to mental health as individuals, communities, and governments and match that value with more commitment, engagement, and investment by all stakeholders, across all sectors.

Strengthening mental health care means that the full spectrum of mental health needs is met through a community-based network of accessible, affordable, and quality services and supports ().

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Depression is one of the most common mental disorders affecting approximately 340 million people in the world. No one is immune from depression - it occurs in people of all social classes, all countries and all cultural settings.

History of World Mental Health Day

In 1992, the World Federation of Mental Health led by Richard Hunter created World Mental Health Day to raise awareness of mental health issues in an attempt to eliminate the stigma attached and encourage people affected to seek out help and support.

The first World Mental Health Day was celebrated in 1994 with the theme ‘Improving the Quality of Mental Health Services throughout the World’ in 27 countries. As the years passed, more countries got involved and the perception of mental health became more synonymous with human rights.

The World Health Organization (WHO) got on board to support World Mental Health Day to make this event an opportunity for increasing the investment made in the support of mental health.

The themes for World Mental Health Day expanded along with the times and the need. Women, children, health, work, trauma, suicide, and so much more became a part of the conversation, and today, the average citizen is more knowledgeable about mental health.

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Suicide is an act of ending one's own life and it usually results from emotional isolations and inability to adjust and cope with one's environment.

How to Observe World Mental Health Day?

Do group therapy in the workplace
- This can allow everyone in the workplace to express themselves in a safe environment.
Practice self-care
- through exercise, meditation, journaling, and healthy eating.
Share your mental health experiences
- using the hashtag #MentalHealthNow throughout October on the social media platform.
Participate in an event
- Various events will be hosted in-person and online that help to educate and provide support around the topic of mental health. These might range from seminars and symposiums to awareness walks or other events.
Wear a green ribbon
- The green ribbon is the international symbol of mental health awareness. Wearing a green ribbon shows that you care for the mental health of your colleagues, loved ones, or simply those you walk past. It can also be worn in memory of a loved one.
Join a World Mental Health Day Fundraiser
- Get connected with national or international organizations that provide support for those with mental health concerns, as well as promote prevention to show your support for this serious issue.

This day is an opportunity to gather people globally to highlight how inequality in mental health can be addressed to ensure everyone can enjoy good mental health.

World Mental Health Day is a great day to begin pushing away the stigma, embracing the struggle, and investing in the opportunity for a more stable future with good mental health.

“Sound mind and body is important for health”

References:

World Mental Health Day 2022 "Make mental health for all a global priority" - (https://www.un.org/en/healthy-workforce/world-mental-health-day)
Global, regional, and national burden of 12 mental disorders in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 - (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(21)00395-3/fulltext)
World Mental Health Day - (https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/world-mental-health-day)
World Mental Health Day 2022 - (https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2022)

Source-Medindia