Mental Health and Global Development

Increased investment 

As evidenced by the inclusion of mental health in the Sustainable Development Goals, there has been growing recognition of the crucial role mental health plays in achieving global development goals in recent years. One of the main reasons for impairment is depression. Among people aged 15 to 29, suicide ranks as the fourth most common cause of death. The medical issues that cause their severe mental health conditions cause them to pass away early—by up to two decades.

People with mental health disorders frequently face significant human rights breaches, discrimination, and stigma notwithstanding advances in some nations.

Despite the fact that many mental health illnesses may be successfully treated for comparatively little money, there is still a wide disparity between those who require care and those who have access to it. Coverage of effective treatments is still quite low.

The need for increased investment in mental health awareness, initiatives to provide access to high-quality mental health care and effective treatments, and research to find novel treatments and enhance existing ones for all mental diseases are all areas that need attention. In order to provide 100 million additional people with access to high-quality and reasonably priced care for mental health conditions in 12 priority countries, WHO established the WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health (2019-2023): Universal Health Coverage for Mental Health in 2019.

In 2022, WHO launched the World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental health for All.

Mental Health Conditions are Increasing Worldwide

Globally, there is an increase in mental health issues. In the past ten years, there has been a 13% increase in mental health illnesses and substance use disorders, primarily due to demographic shifts (to 2017). Mental health disorders currently cause 1 in 5 years lived with disability. Suicide is the second greatest cause of mortality among those aged 15 to 29 worldwide, affecting over 20% of children and adolescents. In post-conflict environments, one in five people suffer from a mental illness.

Every aspects of life, including school or work performance, relationships with family and friends, and participation in society, can be significantly impacted by mental health issues. Anxiety and depression, two of the most prevalent mental health illnesses, cost the world economy $1 trillion annually.

Despite these numbers, less than 2% of global government health spending is allocated to mental health.