Global Health Essay

Global Health: Mental Health

Background Information and Statistics

Global mental health explores different features of mental disorders that affect people the world over. It entails research and implementation of the findings which focuses on improving mental health as well as seeks justice for the psychiatric patients. The global health subject considers the different conditions and practices that affect specific countries, the treatment plans, financial and political factors, education on mental wellbeing and the structures of mental health among other considerations to advance plans to control and manage the impacts of the conditions. The study of global mental health helps in availing information from all nations in the world and acknowledging the requirements of the medical care in order to come up with evidence-based treatment plans to mitigate the different needs of the illnesses.

According to Sorel (2013), mental health plays a significant role in the world burden of disease. Research estimates show that the epidemic affects about 10 percent of the world population, which translates to roughly 500,000,000 individuals. Apparently, mental conditions are associated with 30 percent of the non-fatal disease burden in the universe and 10 percent of the overall illness burden. Mental disorders, for instance, contribute to most of the suicides in the society (Nydegger, 2014). This phenomenon produces massive ramifications in the community. In India, for example, suicide by the mentally unstable females is the major cause of death particularly among women aged between fifteen and fifty years, surpassing childbirth and pregnancy-related complications. Depression and anxiety ranks amongst the leading mental health problems in the universe. According to the 2010 Global Burden of Disease, chronic depression is the major cause of disability as well as the leading cause of heart diseases and suicide (Nydegger, 2014). Researchers have also noted that almost 90 percent of depression patients get their treatment plan at primary health care level. Reliable sources also show that many more individuals are hardly diagnosed and therefore, they do not seek treatment.

Factors Affecting Mental Health

Although the burden of mental health affects numerous individuals across the globe, some jurisdictions are markedly disadvantaged due to the different justifications that range from financial, political, and cultural reasons. The ratio of caregivers to the residents’ population is considerably low in some developing nations. While the ratio might be 1 per 100,000 people in the less-developed states, the value moves to about 500 in the developed world. Moreover, the mental health budgetary allocation is a critical issue. For example, in Ghana, the expenditure is considerably below 2 dollars per capita while Sweden spends 330 dollars or more. Aside from expenditure, tradition and culture affect the manner in which people seek treatment in some regions. For example, some African communities define mental disorders as curses or witchcraft and hence patients are not subjected to the conventional medicine (In Patel, In Minas, In Cohen & In Prince, 2014).

Nevertheless, contrary to the expectations of many, the burden of mental disorders affects other developed nations more than the developing states. Belarus, Russia, and Estonia have recorded the highest mental health-adjusted life years for every 100,000 individuals. The United States, India, and China are some of the nations that are most hit by bipolar, anxiety, and schizophrenia. As a matter of fact, most of the states that are losing the least years are among the developing nations such as Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, and Nigeria. Nonetheless, this does not imply that the mental health conditions are better in the poor states. It might just be that no proper records are kept due to the low economic status as well as a generally underdeveloped health sector (In Patel et al., 2014).

Role of Altruistic Entities

Altruistic organizations (e.g. Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, Orchid Mental Health Policy, and A Billions Minds and Lives), religious, and spiritual organizations have impacted the mental health subject in a great way. On top of being at the core of offering education and addressing all the philanthropic efforts, some entities have been actively involved in the attempt to influence the adjustment of social and cultural views of mental conditions. Majority of the first medical centers in the developed world, and in fact in the world over, were founded by religious institutions. As a matter of fact, even to the modern day, the contribution of the religious bodies in handling the problem of mental illness through the establishment of entities that are devoted to mental wellbeing in various jurisdictions cannot be underestimated. Clergies and other religious leaders are health care providers in those facilities (Giesekus, Smith & Schuster, 2017).

Most importantly, the religious-based health centers have collaborated with the political administrations to deliver mental health services and to supplement the efforts of the various governments. In some developed states, for example, the government sponsors one or two psychiatric hospitals while the others are funded by the religious bodies and private sector. Evidently, devoid of the support given by missionaries, religious entities, and private stakeholders, the burden of mental health disorders would weigh heavily on the citizens. Since these nongovernmental institutions move closer to the members of the society more than the government does, people develop trust in them, which improves their effectiveness in mental healthcare delivery (Giesekus et al., 2017).

Interventions Meant to Address Mental Health Challenge

Insufficient budgetary allocation to the mental health field is one of the key challenges to the prosperity of the interventions put in place to handle the problem. Many of the developing nations in Africa, for instance, allocate about 1 percent of the government expenditure to mental health while others allocate nothing at all. In the last two decades, however, the World Health Organization has intensified campaigns for increased government participation in the provision of better mental health services to the patients. As a result, some states are putting in place measures to boost the infrastructures required to address the challenge.

In the developed world, mental health regulations are currently quite adhered to and are keenly being integrated into educational, social and health policies. Furthermore, western nations have made it mandatory to factor in the mental health issues in the budget and the vital package of interventions in the health sector. Fortunately, the practice is being embraced by the less developed states in Africa, albeit via donations and funding from for-profit entities and western NGOs. More individuals are currently accessing mental health services due to its inclusion in the insurance policy. With the assistance of the altruistic entities, more individuals are able to access both alternative and conventional medicine to manage the problem (In Patel et al., 2014).

Relationship between Local Health Care Decisions/Practices and Global Health Care Delivery

The local mental health care decisions and practices relates to global mental health care delivery in several ways. First, the United States has put in place measures aimed at facilitating the access to treatment for the mentally ill. For example, the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act compel insurance entities providing coverage for mental health to make these benefits similar to general medical cover (Beronio, Glied & Frank, 2014). According to this Act, copays, deductibles, treatment limitations, out-of-pocket maximums for mental health conditions should be no more restricting than the comparable benefits or requirements provided for other medical care services. This practice is in line with similar regulations enforced at the global scale in nations such as the United Kingdom and Russia. In addition, the famous 2010 Affordable Care Act contains important mental health provisions that resonate with similar practices at the global level. For example, the Act consider prevention, timely intervention, and management of mental health conditions as an important health benefit that should be incorporated in the health plans offered via the Health Insurance Market (Beronio et al., 2014). Similarly, other world nations such as France have established directives aimed at ensuring that mental health conditions are prevented, detected in time and treated accordingly.  

Evidence-Based Measures Meant To Boost Wellness and Disease Prevention Linked To Mental Health

According Sorel, (2013), mental disorders can be treated effectively through psychological and pharmacological interventions. The WHO concentrates on offering treatment services at primary healthcare, making drugs accessible, educating the masses, involving the society and consumers in the course of the campaigns as some of the measures that could assist in the management of the burden. Promoters of mental health should view the burden as a fundamental human right which is essential for the socioeconomic development. Some of the tactics that entail connecting the mental health to other fields like social, administrative justice, education, and criminal justice structure can greatly promote health in general. Moreover, the establishment of national strategies, policies, and regulations regarding mental health will create a guideline to allow the implementation of evidence-based measures (Sorel, 2013).

Furthermore, it has been reported that amongst the leading problems confronting mental health challenge is insufficient human capital. With suitable investments into training as well as employment of more personnel in the field, more people will be helped and healthier prevention initiatives implemented. Observing mental health from a society point of view will assist in controlling the implications of the mental disorders. Additionally, increased funding should be directed to research to gather data that should direct the implementation of measures to guarantee improved health outcomes (Sorel, 2013).

Conclusion

With the number of psychiatric patients increasing by day globally, the mental health field is expanding thick and fast. Statistical estimates show that more than half a billion people are affected by one mental condition or the other. Even with this disturbing state of affairs, some states are yet to establish strategies, legislation, and necessary funding to mitigate this global phenomenon. Some jurisdictions in the sub-Saharan Africa have neglected the mental health field completely. Despite the lack of investment in this field by many of the developing states, however, it is interesting to learn that the burden weigh heavily on the developed world than the poor economies.

While political administrations have done very little in addressing the mental health issues, altruistic entities have played a crucial role in assisting societies to contain the challenge. These organizations have successfully intervened through campaigns, erection of mental health facilities, and funding of the existing mental hospitals. All in all, embracing these efforts at the primary care level will enhance health care results.