Mental illness, neurological disorders and substance use disorders – these three conditions account for 14% of the global burden of disease. Often mistakenly believed to be more prevalent in high-income countries, mental health conditions affect individuals all over the world with 75% of affected persons living in low- and middle-income countries. Because less than 1% of government spending in low-income countries is allocated to mental health services, these individuals often lack access to care.
In many countries, a dearth of mental health services and trained providers is exacerbated by the stigma associated with mental illness and related health conditions.
There shouldn’t be any stigma attached to mental health or neurological disorders. Anyone suffering from anything like this should not feel like they can’t talk about what they are going through. A lot of times, when you speak about an issue, it becomes easier to deal with because you’ve shared your story. Take anyone dealing with having an overactive bladder (which can be linked to neurological disorders). They have the ability to look into someone like Advanced Urology, who can provide them with the guidance necessary to move forward after having spoken to a specialist. It’s about finding the right people who you feel will bring a new outlook on this concern. It can be daunting speaking to someone you don’t know about whatever you’re going through, but it is for your benefit.
Training programs that build the capacity of the mental health workforce like HVO’s mental health care project in Bhutan is just one piece of the puzzle. To close the mental health care gap, we must reduce the stigma associated with utilization of mental health services both at home and abroad.
The theme of the World Mental Health Day 2017 campaign is “Mental Health in the Workplace.” Changing the culture surrounding mental health in the workplace is a critical step toward removing stigma as a barrier to care. A reduction in stigma coupled with an increase in trained mental health care providers can help ensure that individuals around the world living with mental illness, neurological disorders and substance use disorders gain access to the treatment and support they need. There are loads of things that can be done to help people if needs be. If you are living with a mental illness or something, then one thing that you could take a look at is making sure you have the right mattress for you. You want a mattress that will let you have the best sleep possible. Having a good mattress might help your mental health (if this is something that interests you then you can check out these mattress sizes here).
Learn more about HVO’s mental health program, and volunteer to help build the capacity of the mental health workforce in Bhutan.
Not a mental health care provider? Use the HVO project finder to identify a project that fits your skills and qualifications, or donate to support the work of HVO volunteers at sites around the globe!