Global Health: Mental Health Essay

Global Health: Mental Health

Background Information and Statistics

Global mental health focuses on the various aspects of mental health on the worldwide perspectives. It involves research and practice with the aim of improving mental health and obtaining justice in mental health for all peoples of the world. The field takes into account the various cultural practices and conditions that are specific to a country, the treatment options, political and financial considerations, education regarding mental health as well as the structures of mental health care among other issues to develop strategies to mitigate the effects of the disorders (Whiteford et al., 2015).

The field seeks to support mental health in the globe by providing mental health information from all countries and identifying the needs of the health care so as to develop evidence-based interventions to mitigate the various needs of the disorders.

Recent studies have indicated that mental health is a problematic disorder that causes global burden to the patients, care taker and the society (Patel et al., 2016). It is estimated that about 10% of the global population is affected by the epidemic (Patel et al., 2016). This translates to more than 500 million people. Indeed, mental disorders are responsible for 30% of the non-fatal illness burden in the globe as well as 10% of the entire disease burden (Patel et al., 2016). For example, suicide, often caused by mental disorders has huge ramifications in society: In India, mental disorder is the leading cause of death among the females aged between 15 and 50 years, overtaking complications from pregnancy and childbirths (Patel et al., 2016). Anxiety and depression rank among the most predominant mental health disorders in the world (Whiteford et al., 2015). The 2010 Global Burden of Disease established that chronic depression was the leading cause of disability as well as being the main contributor to suicide and heart diseases (Walker, McGee, & Druss, 2015). It has also been determined that almost 90% of patients diagnosed with anxiety and depression receive their treatment at primary health care (Walker et al., 2015). It is also evident that many more people are not diagnosed and consequently, do not look for treatment.

Factors that Impact mental health

While the burden affects many people in the world, some countries are evidently disadvantaged owing to the various reasons that include political, financial, culture and traditions. In some low-income countries, the ratio of health workers to the citizen population is quite low. While the ratio can be one per 100,000 persons in the developing nations, the number gets to more than 500 in developed nations (Patel et al., 2016). Besides, the budgetary allocation to mental health is an issue of concern. In Ghana, for instance, the spending is lower than $2 per capita while in Sweden more than $330 is spent (Walker et al., 2015). Apart from spending, culture, and tradition affect the seeking of treatment among some communities. In some African countries, some forms of mental health issues are considered as witchcraft and curses and are not treated by the conventional evidence-based medicine.

However, it should be noted that reports from WHO have indicated that countries most affected by burden are not among the poorest in the world. Estonia, Russia and Belarus have the highest mental health-adjusted life years (DALYs) for every 100,000 people (Whiteford et al., 2013). The US, China, and India are among the countries most affected by schizophrenia, anxiety and bipolar disorders. In fact, the countries losing the least years are considered low-income ones like Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, and Burkina Faso. However, this does not indicate that the conditions of mental health are better in those developing countries. It may just be that the figures have a less visible effect due to the higher poverty and a generally dilapidated health provision and conflict.

The Influence of Altruistic Organizations on Health and Health Care Practices Associated with Mental Health

Altruistic organizations together with religion and spirituality have had a huge impact on the mental health. Apart from being at the forefront of providing education and doing all the philanthropic works, some organizations have been known to influence the change of culture and social perceptions of mental illnesses. Most of the first hospitals in the Western countries, and indeed in the entire globe, were built by religious organizations (Walker et al., 2015). Indeed, even to the present day, the role played by religious institutions in addressing the challenge of mental health through the construction of institutions that are dedicated to mental health in different countries cannot be overemphasized. In addition, some of the clergies are physicians and health care workers.

It is necessary to also mention that these organizations have partnered with governments to provide mental health care to supplement the governments’ efforts. In Kenya, for example, there is only one mental health institution sponsored by the government to serve more than 43 million people. Clearly, without the support of the missionary, religious and private institutions, the burden of the disorders would be enormous (Whiteford et al., 2013). Because these organizations get close to the communities sometimes better than does the government, the members get to trust them, which help to try to offer health education.

The Interventions Implemented to Address the Health Care Issues Associated with Mental Health

Among the most challenges to the successful interventions being made to address the issue of mental health has been the low budgetary allocation to the field. In most Sub-Saharan African countries, there was as little as 1% of the budget allocated to mental health, if there is any in the first place (Whiteford et al., 2013). However, in the last few decades, it seems that with the WHO campaigning for more government involvement to provide for mental health care to the patients, some countries are taking initiative to improve the infrastructure to address the burden.

In developed countries, mental health policies are now quite established and are carefully being integrated into health, educational and social policies. Further, it is now mandatory in Western countries to integrate mental health needs into the national budget and the essential package of interventions in health. This practice is being advocated and spread to the low-income countries in Africa, albeit through donations in funding from Western NGOs and for-profit organizations. More people are now accessing mental health because of its inclusion of the insurance cover. With the help of the altruistic organizations, more people are accessing both conventional and alternative medicine to mitigate the burden.

How Health Care Decisions and Practices at a Local Level Relate to Health and Health Care Delivery on a Global Scale

In the United States, which is one of the countries most affected by the burden of mental disorder, an approach of integrating the patient and provider in the decision-making process. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) considers this area significant in enhancing mental health and primary care. Legislation and advocacy have led to the patients having a critical role in deciding together with the care provider on the treatment decision. Most patients decide on their own the type of treatment they will receive and this right is being acknowledged in other parts of the world where people with mental health issues were not considered as having the ability to make a decision on treatment plans (Whiteford et al., 2013). The decisions of a patient do impact the behaviors like initiating treatment and continuance, adherence to prescriptions and health care action plans which subsequently affects the individual and overall health outcomes.

Besides decision making, the local health practice relating to mental health is the adherence to strict privacy rules as provided by the HIPAA Act. This act gives various parties the responsibilities of ensuring the privacy of patients and the conditions under which the medical record of a patient can be shared with a third party (Whiteford et al., 2015). Such practices can only help to ensure that stigma and prejudice that is often associated with mental illness does not find a place in the community.

Evidence-Based Interventions to Promote Wellness and Disease Prevention Associated with Mental Health

Research has also shown that pharmacological and psychosocial interventions can effectively treat mental disorders (Townsend, 2014). The WHO focuses on the providing treatments at primary health care, educating the public, making drugs available, involving the communities and consumers during campaigns are some of the interventions that could help address the burden. Promotion of mental health considers the burden to be a basic human right that is critical to economic and social development (Townsend, 2014). Some of the strategies that include linking the mental health to other sectors like education, social and administrative justice and criminal justice systems can go a long way in the prevention and promotion of health. Besides, the development of national policies, strategies, and laws regarding concerning mental health will provide a guideline to enable the execution of evidence-based interventions.

It has also been established that among the significant challenges facing mental health is inadequate human resources. With proper investments into training and employing more people into the field, more patients will be reached and better prevention programs implemented (Townsend, 2014). Monitoring mental health from a community perspective will help in mitigating the effects the disorders. Finally, more funding should go into research to obtain data that should guide the implementation of practices to ensure better health outcomes (Patel et al., 2016).

Conclusion

Mental health is a growing field of public health concern with the numbers of people affected globally soaring each year. It is estimated that more that 500 million people are affected by any one of the mental disorders (Whiteford et al., 2013). Even with this information, some countries do not have legislation and strategies as well as funding to address this global challenge. Countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa have as little as 1% of the budgetary allocation to mental health (Whiteford et al., 2013). Despite this small spending, it has been established that some of the poorest countries do not bear the biggest burden of mental health with nations like Russia, US, China recording the biggest adverse effects of mental health.

While the governments have not done enough to address the issues of mental health, altruistic organizations have been at the forefront in helping communities and patients to deal with the burden. They have done this through campaigns, the building of mental health hospitals and other activities. From evidence-based finding, most of the mental disorders can be treated and others managed. Implementing these practices at the primary care to prevent and promote health will go a long way in improving health care outcomes.