Status: 06/17/2022 09:14 a.m
–
–
–
Depression, anxiety disorders, addictions – according to the WHO, the corona pandemic has led to a sharp increase in mental illnesses worldwide. Almost a billion people are affected.
The corona pandemic has led to a sharp increase in some mental illnesses. According to one new report on mental health from the World Health Organization (WHO) cases of depression and anxiety disorders worldwide rose by 25 percent in the first year of the pandemic alone. According to this, almost a billion people live with a mental illness.
The WHO defines a mental illness as a significant disturbance in a person’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior, usually associated with stress or impairment in important areas of functioning.
Children and young people are severely affected
Not only adults are affected: According to the WHO, around 20 percent of children and adolescents worldwide have a mental illness. The report ranks suicide as the fourth leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 29.
Those affected have a shorter life expectancy
In general, according to the WHO, people with severe mental disorders die ten to 20 years earlier than the general population – often from physical conditions that could actually be prevented.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that mental health goes hand in hand with physical health. All countries must therefore do more to help those affected. Mental health has been neglected for decades, the report says.
Investing in mental health is investing in a better life and future for everyone.
–
–
Childhood sexual abuse is often the cause
According to the WHO chief, some of the most important causes of depression are sexual abuse, bullying or bullying in childhood. This must be actively counteracted – for example through social services, support for families with problems and programs for social and emotional learning in schools. Social and economic inequalities, wars, the climate crisis and health threats – like a pandemic – are risks that contribute to mental illness.
Stigma still prevalent
In many countries, those affected are still viewed obliquely and excluded, the WHO reported. It is important to include people with mental illnesses in all aspects of social life in order to counteract this.
In all countries, the risk of mental illness is greatest among the poorest people, who are also the least likely to be treated. Even in developed countries, only a third of people with depression are treated by professionals.
Every fourth person in Germany is affected
In Germany, more than one in four adults meets the criteria for a mental illness within a year, as reported by the German Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Neurology – DGPPN for short. According to them, the most common clinical pictures include anxiety disorders, depression and disorders caused by alcohol or drug use.
WHO calls for more commitment to mental health
Kathrin Hondl, ARD Geneva, June 17, 2022 10:57 a.m
–
–
–
