World Mental Health Day: Making Mental Health & Wellbeing For All A Global Priority

Every year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises World Mental Health Day on 10 October.

The theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day, set by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), is ‘make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority’. The day is celebrated to challenge the various issues faced by those suffering from mental health challenges. According to WHO and WFMH, the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that many health systems are ill-prepared to deal with the physical and mental health challenges faced by their populations.

PRIORITISING MENTAL HEALTH

This year’s campaign will provide an opportunity for people with mental health conditions, advocates, governments, employers, employees and other stakeholders to come together and discuss what we need to do to make mental health and wellbeing a global priority for all.

Employers are generally unprepared for the mental health challenges of their staff, according to WHO and WFMH. The culture of our workplaces needs to support mental health and wellbeing of the workforce, so that employers are better prepared to support mental health and wellbeing in the working population. There is a need to establish global mental health and wellbeing targets that can bring together evidence that captures the social determinants of health. This includes promoting exercise, widening access to good nutrition and food; all of which will have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing.

BETTER WORKPLACE SUPPORT

The mental health and wellbeing of many health, social care and frontline workers has also been affected by the pandemic. Systems need to be strengthened to provide better support to such staff during times of crisis and challenge. This year’s theme provides us with an opportunity to re-kindle global efforts to make the world a better place.

“People with lived experience of mental illness, their families and other disadvantaged populations continue to tell us that their mental health well-being is not always in the mind of governments, as well as those who pay for services and society at large,” shared Dr Nasser Loza, President of the World Federation for Mental Health.

“In high-income countries over 75% of people with depression have reported that they do not receive adequate care. And in low and middle-income countries over 75% of people with mental health conditions have received no treatment at all,” added Loza. “This year’s theme highlights many issues relevant to mental health and wellbeing. The WFMH Secretary-General has been mandated to involve a variety of stakeholders and global citizens to work together to ensure that we have a clear message and an effective campaign to support World Mental Health Day 2022.”

MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK

The World Economic Forum’s Head of Health and Healthcare, Shyam Bishen, is also calling for stakeholders from the public and private sectors to come together and realise the vision of this year’s World Mental Health Day.
 
“An estimated 15% of working-age adults have a mental disorder at any point in time. Depression and anxiety are estimated to cost the global economy US $1 trillion each year driven predominantly by lost productivity, according to WHO. The Covid-19 pandemic further accelerated the global mental health crisis and the growing strain on the global workforce,” shared Bishen. “The WEF is committed to collaborating with employers and the scientific community to address these significant challenges through the adoption and acceleration of evidence-based interventions to improve individuals’ mental health and well-being globally. Currently, the Forum and its partners are actively collaborating on the topic of mental health and wellness in the workplace in order to accelerate the adaptation of evidence-based guidelines, interventions and frameworks, and to encourage employers globally to prioritise this crucial issue within their workforces.”  

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