Mental Health: strengthening our action
Main facts
- Mental health is an integral part of health; indeed, there is no health without mental health.
- Mental health is determined by a series of socioeconomic, biological and environmental factors.
- There are cost-effective intersectoral strategies and interventions to promote, protect and recover mental health.
Mental health is a state of well-being in which a person can fulfill themselves, overcome the normal stresses of life, perform productive work and contribute to the life of their community. In this positive sense, mental health is the foundation of an individual's well-being and the well-functioning of a community.
Mental health and well-being are essential for human beings to be able, individually and collectively, to think, feel, interact with others, earn a living and enjoy life. Therefore, the promotion, protection and recovery of mental health are central concerns for individuals, communities and societies everywhere.
The determinants of mental health
Multiple social, psychological and biological factors determine the degree of a person's mental health at any given time. Thus, persistent socio-economic pressures are recognized risk factors for the mental health of individuals and communities. The best evidence for this is poverty indicators, including low levels of education.
Mental health problems are also associated with: rapid social change; harsh working conditions; discrimination against women; social exclusion; unhealthy lifestyle; risk of violence or physical ill health; and human rights violations.
In addition, certain psychological profiles and certain personality traits predispose to mental disorders. Finally, mental disorders can be due to biological causes, including genetic factors that contribute to chemical imbalances in the brain.
Promotion and protection of mental health
The promotion of mental health involves actions tending to create living conditions and an environment that promote mental health and make it possible to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. There is thus a wide range of measures aimed at increasing the likelihood that more people will enjoy good mental health.
An environment that guarantees respect for and protection of fundamental civil, political, socio-economic and cultural rights is essential for promoting mental health. Without the security and freedom provided by these rights, it is very difficult to maintain good mental health.
National mental health policies should not limit their scope to mental disorders. They also need to recognize and take into account the broader factors that promote mental health. This includes integrating mental health promotion into policies and programs in the public and non-governmental sectors. In addition to the health sector, the following sectors should also be involved: education, employment, justice, transport, environment, housing and social protection.
Mental health promotion relies heavily on intersectoral strategies. Some concrete ways to promote mental health include:
- early childhood interventions (eg home visits for pregnant women, psychosocial activities before schooling, interventions combining nutritional support and psychosocial support for disadvantaged populations);
- assistance to children (eg skills training programs, child and adolescent development programs);
- women's socio-economic empowerment (eg improved access to education and micro-credit schemes);
- social support for the elderly (eg initiatives aimed at fostering friendly contacts, community day centers for seniors);
- programs for vulnerable groups, including minorities, indigenous peoples, migrants and victims of conflicts and disasters (eg post-disaster psychosocial interventions);
- school-based mental health promotion activities (eg environmental behavior change programs in schools, and child-friendly schools);
- mental health interventions in the workplace (eg stress prevention programs);
- housing policies (eg housing improvement);
- violence prevention programs (eg reducing the accessibility of alcohol and weapons);
- community development programs (eg Communities That Care initiatives, integrated rural development).
- poverty alleviation and social protection programs for the poor;
- laws and campaigns against discrimination;
- promoting rights, opportunities and care for people with mental disorders.
Care and treatment
It is essential that national efforts to develop and implement mental health policies aim not only to protect and promote the mental well-being of citizens, but also to meet the needs of people with mental disorders.
Knowledge about how to deal with the growing burden of mental disorders has progressed significantly over the past 10 years. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that some key interventions for priority mental disorders are both effective and cost-effective in countries at different levels of economic development.
Cost-effective, realistic and affordable interventions include:
- treatment of epilepsy with antiepileptics;
- treatment of depression with a psychological approach and generic antidepressants for severe to moderate cases;
- treatment of psychoses with older antipsychotics and psychosocial support;
- taxation of alcoholic beverages and restrictions on their availability and marketing.
There is also a range of effective measures for the prevention of suicide, the prevention and treatment of mental disorders in children, the prevention and treatment of dementia, and the treatment of disorders related to the abuse of psychoactive substances. . The Mental Health Gap Action Program (mhGAP) has established evidence-based guidelines for non-specialists to help them identify and manage priority mental health problems.
WHO action
WHO partners with governments to strengthen and promote mental health. She has assessed evidence on mental health promotion and works with governments to disseminate this information and incorporate effective strategies into policies and plans.
In 2013, the World Health Assembly endorsed the Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020. Through this plan, all WHO Member States commit to taking specific actions to improve mental health and help achieve global targets.
Its purpose is to promote mental well-being, prevent mental disorders, provide care, improve chances of recovery, promote human rights and reduce mortality, morbidity and disability in people with mental illness. of mental disorders. It pursues four key objectives:
- Strengthen leadership and governance in mental health.
- To provide comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health and social support services in a community setting.
- Implement mental health promotion and prevention strategies.
- Strengthen mental health information systems, evidence and research.
The Action Plan places special emphasis on the protection and promotion of fundamental rights, on the strengthening and education of civil society and places a central importance on community care.
To achieve the set goals, the Action Plan calls for clear actions from governments, international partners and WHO. Ministries of health will need to play a leading role, and WHO will work with them and with international and national partners to implement the Plan. No action is valid for all countries, and each government will therefore have to adapt the Action Plan to its national particularities.
Implementation of the Action Plan will enable people with mental disorders:
- to have easier access to mental health services and social protection services;
- to receive treatment from competent health workers in general health care settings; the Mental Health Gap Action Program (mhGAP) and its evidence-based tools facilitate this process;
- to participate in the reorganization, execution and evaluation of services so that the care and treatment provided better meets their needs;
- to have better access to state disability benefits, housing and livelihood programs and to participate more in the labor market, community life and civic affairs.
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