Globally, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are on the rise; World Mental Health Day 2022

The World Mental Health Organization (WHO) observes World Mental Health Day on October 10 to "raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilise efforts in support of mental health."

For decades, mental health advocates, including the WHO, have worked tirelessly to reform mental health care. This year, they emphasise that a perfect storm of events, ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to economic downturns, is having a significant impact on mental health around the world.

According to the WHO World Mental Health report published in June, depression and anxiety increased by 25% in the first year of the pandemic, bringing the total number of people living with a mental disorder to nearly one billion.

Furthermore, mental health services have been severely disrupted in recent years, and the treatment gap for mental health conditions has widened, according to a WHO spokesperson.

Mental health special initiative

So, what are the next steps? The WHO launched the Special Initiative for Mental Health in 2020. It is the WHO's most ambitious mental health programme to date, with the goal of increasing access to mental health services for 100 million people in 12 countries, including Ukraine, Jordan, and Zimbabwe.

Many countries have outmoded mandates for mental health services. We're working with countries to change their approaches so that more people can get help, said Alison Schafer, a technical advisor in WHO's Department of Mental Health.

According to the WHO, five million more people have gained access to mental health and psychosocial support since the initiative's inception in January 2020. Building networks around people in need, often through family and local networks, is part of psychosocial support.

It took us two and a half years to set up the initiatives, but now we expect to see more progress toward expanding mental health services so that more people can get help, said Schafer.

One of the most significant achievements to date has been the provision of mental health and psychosocial support during crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and for conflict-affected people in Ukraine and the Philippines.

We have the greatest immediate impact on people here. The key has been providing psychosocial support to people in crisis, according to Schafer.

Schafer also mentioned early successes in countries such as Paraguay, which have enabled video consultations with psychiatrists. During the coronavirus pandemic, video consultations were especially effective in keeping the community together.

ʺIt sounds quite simple to achieve, but what was missing was the infrastructure,ʺ she said.

A comprehensive approach to mental health

According to Schafer, the WHO's Special Initiative for Mental Health is unique because of its big picture approach.

There is no single approach to mental health services and support. It necessitates a broader perspective than has previously been considered, focusing on a whole system of mental and related health care services, which may be provided in healthcare, but also in schools, community organisations, religious groups, and businesses, she told DW.

One goal of the initiative is to focus on helping at-risk groups. People who have experienced discrimination or human rights violations, including LGBTQ people, are among those at risk.

We're already seeing early successes, such as helping people understand that sexual attraction between people of the same sex is not a mental disorder, but that they may be at higher risk of mental health conditions due to social stigma and discrimination and in need of support, according to Schafer.

Schafer attributes success to basing mental health support on scientific evidence, decades of learning, and the rights of people living with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities. However, the initiative has not been without political difficulties.

"Some countries have made more progress," Schafer said. The World Health Organization's Special Initiative for Mental Health is working to facilitate such changes so that the expansion of mental health services can be sustained and enhanced even further.