World Mental Health Day is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health in order to bring more attention to mental disorders, their negative effects on human societies and to prevent or mitigate their consequences.
On the World Mental Health Day, organizations and thousands of people around the world run activities to provide education and raise awareness about mental health issues and their significant impact on people’s lives around the world.
Mental health is a state of health that enables a person to realize their abilities, overcome the natural stresses and strains of their life, work effectively and be able to cooperate with society.
Mental health problems, ranging from issues such as depression and anxiety disorders to bipolar disorder, affect millions of people around the world.
According to UN estimates, one in eight people around the world lives with a mental health condition, with women and young people being disproportionately impacted.
Three in four people affected receive inadequate treatment – or no care at all. And many face stigma and discrimination. Many others live with their friends or family members who are affected by these diseases.
Despite being very common, mental health is today one of the most neglected forms of health in the world. Almost one billion people are currently living with a mental disorder and millions of people die every year due to the harm that mental health causes them.
However, many people still have no access to the necessary facilities for proper treatment of these types of diseases.
The World Mental Health Day is intended to create awareness about mental health and reduce the stigma that can accompany mental health challenges.
WHO continues to work with its partners to ensure mental health is valued, promoted, and protected, and that urgent action is taken so that everyone can exercise their human rights and access the quality mental health care they need.
According to this global organization, in 2020, governments worldwide spent an average of just two per cent of health budgets on mental health, with lower-middle income countries investing less than one per cent, which is far from enough.
