WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY (OCTOBER10th, 2011)

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY (OCTOBER10^th, 2011)

World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues. The day promotes open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services. The treatment gap for mental, neurological and substance use disorders is formidable especially in poor resource countries. This year the theme is "Investing in mental health". Financial and human resources allocated for mental health are inadequate especially in low resource countries. The majority of low- and middle-income countries spend less than 2% of their health budget on mental health.

Many countries have less than one mental health specialist per one million population. Even a considerable part of the limited resources is spent on large mental hospitals and not for services delivered through community and primary health care. We need to increase investment for mental health and to shift the available resources towards more effective and more humanitarian forms of services World Mental Health Day (October 10), is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.]This day, each October thousands of supports come to celebrate this annual awareness program to bring attention to Mental Illness and its major effects on peoples' life worldwide. In some countries this day is part of the larger Mental Illness Awareness Week
World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues. The day promotes open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services. The treatment gap for mental, neurological and substance use disorders is formidable especially in poor resource countries. This year the theme is "Investing in mental health". Financial and human resources allocated for mental health are inadequate especially in low resource countries. The majority of low- and middle-income countries spend less than 2% of their health budget on mental health.
Many countries have less than one mental health specialist per one million populations. Even a considerable part of the limited resources is spent on large mental hospitals and not for services delivered through community and primary health care.We need to increase investment for mental health and to shift the available resources towards more effective and more humanitarian forms of services.

What is Mental Health?
Sound mental health is not merely a reference to disease-free existence; it is a state of well-being when an individual is able to realize his, or her, full potential, is able to handle life’s stresses and is able to contribute positively towards society. Mental illness is a universal malady. According to World Health Organization’s statistics for 2002, 154 million people across the globe suffer from depression. Mental Health is an umbrella term referring to the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of individuals with mental diseases.
 People with mental disorders are mostly neglected and traumatized. In several places, mental diseases are not categorized as an illness. Even the treatment that patients receive is far from humane because they are considered to be weak or immoral and seemingly deserve nothing better. It is very common to see human rights being violated in homes, roads or at treatment centers all through the world, when dealing with mentally-challenged individuals.
It is distressing to know that there is a huge financial and manpower shortage in managing mental diseases, especially in poorer countries. Most of the low- and middle-income countries do not even spend 2% of their health budget on mental health; even this amount is spent on larger hospitals and not on the primary or community health care centers. There is a need to increase investment in mental health care and make it more effective across the globe. Creating awareness too requires funds and is hard to come by. Effort must be made to dispense medical services at community centers and general hospitals and not merely at larger hospitals. There seems to be a need to promote and safeguard mental health at the early stage—among children—to prevent mental diseases in adulthood and old age.
Prevention of mental health may be universal, selective or indicative.

‘Universal’ is when the entire public is targeted for treatment; ‘selective’ is when high- risk people are selected for counseling or other modes of management. ‘Indicative’ treatment is when a high risk person, already showing signs of the disease, is targeted and treatment initiated. Consistent action requiring involvement by the private sectors, NGOs and the government seems to be the need of the hour and this will go a long way in ensuring a sound mind, in a sound body, to all.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and mental health advocates globally encourage awareness about mental, neurological and behavioral disorders, their prevention and therapies. Hundreds of millions of people suffer from depression and other disorders that lead to "social isolation, poor quality of life and higher death rates." World Sight Day October 13 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 286 million people are visually impaired, yet 80 percent of the causes of blindness are preventable. The annual day devoted to sight awareness is focused on "Vision 2020: The Right to Sight," a global effort to prevent blindness created by the WHO and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

                                                                  Prof. John Kurakar