The Global Mental Health Crisis: A WHO Report on Gaps in Care and Investment
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Social Development, Health (Mental Health); Social Sector Initiatives & Schemes (Tele-MANAS, National Health Mission); International Bodies (WHO); Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Society): Population and associated issues, Social empowerment.
General Studies Paper 2 (Health & Governance): Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health; Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population.
Essay: Topics on Health, Mental Health, and Social Justice.
Key Highlights from the News
The latest World Health Organization (WHO) reports indicate that over 1 billion people worldwide experience mental health disorders.
Conditions like anxiety and depression cost the global economy $1 trillion annually.
Globally, government spending on mental health is very low (an average of only 2% of the health budget).
Major challenges in India include: a severe shortfall of mental health professionals, social stigma, and reluctance to seek help.
In India, there are only 0.75 psychiatrists per lakh people, while WHO recommends 3.
The world is far behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for reducing suicide rates.
Despite government initiatives like Tele-MANAS being implemented in India, more investment and structural changes are needed in this sector.
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