Read a short note from Dr. Amit Arwindekar about World Mental Health Day:
Mental health issues affect one billion people worldwide and it’s been reported that cases are rising in every country in the world1. Despite so many of us experiencing mental health issues, many are still afraid to talk about it or seek help from others2. Over the past year many people have experienced high levels of anxiety in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic3. Faced with working from home, temporary unemployment, home-schooling of children, and lack of physical contact with other family members, friends and colleagues, it’s important we now look to repair our mental health as the world slowly looks to get back on track.
Today's theme is 'Mental Health in an Unequal World'. This highlights that access to mental health services remains unequal, with between 75% to 95% of people with mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries unable to access mental health services at all, and access in high-income countries is not much better4. Today is a great opportunity for everyone to share what they know about mental health, including practical ideas about how to tackle the issue, and most importantly, encourage openness around mental health and look to a more positive future. - Dr. Amit Arwindekar, Medical Director North America
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Resources:
1: https://blogs.worldbank.org/health/mental-health-lessons-learned-2020-2021-and-forward
2: https://www.who.int/news/item/30-03-2017--depression-let-s-talk-says-who-as-depression-tops-list-of-causes-of-ill-health
3: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/divergence-mental-health-experiences-during-pandemic
4: https://wfmh.global/2021-world-mental-health-global-awareness-campaign-world-mental-health-day-theme/