The World Health Report 2001: Mental Health : New Understanding, New HopeWorld Health Organization, 2001 - 178 pages An estimated 400 million people suffer from mental or neurological disorders or from psychosocial problems such as those related to alcohol and drug abuse. Many of them suffer silently. Many suffer alone. Many never receive treatment of any kind. Between the suffering and the prospect of care stand the barriers of stigma, prejudice, shame, and exclusion. In devoting The World Health Report 2001 to mental health, WHO is making one clear, emphatic statement. Mental health - neglected for far too long - is crucial to the overall well-being of individuals, societies, and countries and must be universally regarded in a new light. This book is a landmark report that aims to raise professional and public awareness of the real burden of mental and neurological disorders and the cost in human, social, and economic terms. At the same time, it aims to dismantle many of those barriers, which prevent millions of sufferers from receiving the treatment they need and deserve. The report comes at a critical time for the mental health of the world. One person in every four will be affected by a mental disorder at some stage of life. Major depression already ranks fifth in the leading ten causes of the global burden of disease. If projections are correct, within the next 20 years it will have risen to second place. Globally, 140 million people suffer from alcohol dependence. About 50 million have epilepsy; another 45 million have schizophrenia. Between ten and 20 million people attempt suicide every year. One million of them - including many who are very young - do kill themselves.The World Health Report 2001 provides a new understanding that offers new hope to the mentally ill. It comes from the great wealth of knowledge that has been gathered, particularly in the last 50 years, of the human brain and the basis of mental illness. The report is about understanding how genetic, biological, social, and environmental factors come together to cause mental and neurological disorders as well as physical illnesses. It is about understanding how inseparable mental and physical health really are, and how their influence on each other is complex and profound. It is about understanding that mental disorders occur in all countries and all societies - and that more often than not, they can be treated effectively. And not least, it is about how human understanding can make such a huge difference to the mentally ill. The report is a comprehensive review of what we know about the current and future burden of all these disorders and their principal contributing factors. It examines the effectiveness of prevention and the availability of and barriers to treatment. It deals in detail with service provision and service planning. And finally, it outlines the policies that are urgently needed to ensure that stigma and discrimination are broken down, and that effective prevention and treatment are put in place and adequately funded. This report is sending a message primarily to those who have the power or the means to make these things happen. Foremost among them are governments, who must recognize that they are just as responsible for the mental health of their citizens as for their physical health. The message is not only for health ministers. Other departments, education, employment and legislation, among them - also have major responsibilities in promoting good mental health. It is a message that goes beyond governments, towards all those in both the public and private domains who can exert a positive influence. Finally, it is a message for all those who have a mental or neurological disorder, and their families. The message is contained in the title of this report. With the new understanding of mental health at our disposal, there really is new hope. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 67
Page ix
... individuals - as if we do not dare to understand and care . The theme of this report is " New understanding , new hope " . It shows how science and sensibility are combining to break down real and per- ceived barriers to care and cure ...
... individuals - as if we do not dare to understand and care . The theme of this report is " New understanding , new hope " . It shows how science and sensibility are combining to break down real and per- ceived barriers to care and cure ...
Page xi
... individuals with chronic mental disorders . Shifting patients from mental hospitals to care in the community is also cost - effective and respects human rights . Mental health services should therefore be provided in the community , xi ...
... individuals with chronic mental disorders . Shifting patients from mental hospitals to care in the community is also cost - effective and respects human rights . Mental health services should therefore be provided in the community , xi ...
Page xiii
... individuals with mental disorders and the quality of their care , as well as some more general measures of the mental health of communities . Such monitoring helps to determine trends and to detect mental health changes resulting from ...
... individuals with mental disorders and the quality of their care , as well as some more general measures of the mental health of communities . Such monitoring helps to determine trends and to detect mental health changes resulting from ...
Page xiv
... individuals , families , societies and communities . Mental and physical health are two vital strands of life that ... individuals at all ages . The disorders have a large direct and indirect economic impact on societies , including ...
... individuals , families , societies and communities . Mental and physical health are two vital strands of life that ... individuals at all ages . The disorders have a large direct and indirect economic impact on societies , including ...
Page xv
... individual , anxiety and depressive disorders being a common combination . The chapter discusses the possibility of suicide associated with such disorders . Three aspects of suicide are of public health importance . First , it is one of ...
... individual , anxiety and depressive disorders being a common combination . The chapter discusses the possibility of suicide associated with such disorders . Three aspects of suicide are of public health importance . First , it is one of ...
Common terms and phrases
adolescents Alzheimer's disease Annex Table antipsychotic associated behavioural disorders Bipolar affective disorder brain burden of disease cancer chronic clinical community-based DALYS developing countries diagnosis disability economic effective epilepsy estimates expenditure on health factors families functioning Geneva Global Burden groups health professionals health system high adult High child HIV/AIDS human rights hyperkinetic disorders improve increase individuals integration International interventions Journal of Psychiatry low adult Low child ment mental and behavioural mental disorders mental health policy mental health services mental hospitals mental illness mental retardation Mortality stratum Murray CJL Osteoarthritis patients population prevalence prevention primary health primary health care problems psychiatric psychological psychotropic drugs public health reduce regions relapse risk role rural Sartorius schizophrenia sectors social stigma and discrimination strategies suicide rates symptoms therapy tion treatment Unipolar depressive women World Health Organization