News > No health without mental health

Created: 2007-09-17 15:37:12

In September 2007 the medical journal The Lancet launched a Global Mental Health Series highlighting the neglect of mental health care across the globe. SANE is calling for the UK Government to lead the world in fighting for research into the causes and treatments of mental illness on the same scale as that devoted to AIDS and cancer.

Despite the World Health Organisation's (WHO) pledge in 2001 to ensure that our generation be the last one to allow shame and stigma about mental illness to rule over science and reason, these words have not translated into actions. Mental health remains neglected and deeply stigmatised across western societies and globally this marginalisation is even more pronounced.

The WHO predicts that by 2020 depression will be the second largest contributor to the global burden of disease and already neuropsychiatric conditions contribute to nearly a third of the number of life years 'lived-with-disability' - more so than cardiovascular disease or cancer. Despite this mental health remains a low priority in most countries, both developed and developing.

"Developing countries tend to prioritise infectious diseases and reproductive, maternal and child health, whereas developed countries prioritise the non-communicable diseases that cause early death such as cancer and heart disease," said the first article in the series.

However the burden of mental health is likely to have been underestimated because of a failure to consider the affect poor mental health has on other health conditions. A WHO study also found that depression worsens health more than angina, arthritis, asthma or diabetes.

Professor Gavin Andrews and Dr Nickolai Titov from the University of New South Wales said: “In Australia less than 30% of patients receive good treatment with antidepressants, cognitive behavourial therapy and proactive maintenance care. By contrast 80% of patients with arthritis and 90% of patients with asthma receive an acceptable standard of care."

"It is surprising that governments have not raised depression and other mental illness to the same level of awareness as they would in the face of any other predicted epidemic," said Marjorie Wallace, SANE's chief executive. "The life threatening nature of depression has long been recognised yet research and treatment has been regarded as a luxury and given a lower priority. Millions have been put into eradicating smallpox and malaria yet the treatment of conditions like depression lag far behind even in developed countries like the UK, depriving people of good chances or recovery and of hope."

For more information visit The Lancet website.