September 2011 will be an important
month for many different reasons. One reason will be especially important
for improving mental health across the globe. The United Nations will be
holding a special session on Non-Communicable Diseases in New
York that month. The purpose of that meeting is to encourage a global
response to these diseases, and mental disorders are at the top of the list of
diseases causing the greatest burden of illness worldwide. Unfortunately,
mental disorders are not at the top of the list of the conveners of this
special session. As we are all too familiar, mental disorders are too
often not on the list when it comes to health care investment – not only here
in Canada but around the world.
We know how important mental health
is – in wealthy and in poor countries. It is well documented that mental
disorders can lead to poverty, decreased educational attainment, job
difficulties, incarceration and a poorer quality of life. They increase
the risk for substance abuse (including alcohol and tobacco), a variety of
physical illnesses and poor adherence to treatment for a number of different
illnesses – including HIV-Aids. Mental disorders are very costly, in both
direct (for example, hospital beds) and indirect (for example, decreased work
productivity) ways. Effective and cost efficient treatments are available
and have recently been catalogued and widely distributed to health providers
across the globe by the World Health Organization (if you are interested,
google mhGAP). What is now needed is to get mental health on the global
health agenda.
And we need your help to do this.
Write your Provincial Minister of
Health and the Federal Minister of Health and your local member of Provincial
and Federal Parliament. Tell them that you would like them to bring this
issue forward at this very important meeting. Ask your friends and neighbors
to do the same. Not only may this have an impact at the global level, but
it may help in your Province and in Canada as well!
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