Mental Health Funding
SUMMARY
The behavioural/mental health sector is a $99 billion industry, yet mental health still remains to be one of the most neglected and under resourced areas in public health, regardless of the fact that the need is ever growing (Bhattacharya et all. 2001). In the diagram displayed below, it is clear that mental disorders represent one of the top burdens worldwide, therefore has more than enough reason to take action more seriously in terms of funding.
Figure 1: Burden of diseases worldwide (World Health Organization, 2003)
One common theme found in the mental health care industry is the deficiency of acknowledgement, in terms of overall health status and the well-being of the people involved. The consequence and cause to this is the fact that mental health research is poorly funded and developed due to politics, the economy, and stigma. Even with the limited imbursement given, money is being spent with limited value and accountability (Bhattacharya et all. 2001). Despite all this, mental health is not even considered near to the same degree as importance as physical health, so its neglectfulness results in this area of public health to be poorly studied; hence suffering people who don’t receive treatment to its full potential (World Health Organization, 2003).
This report is created for the general public, researchers, decision-makers, and primary care specialists, to make them more aware of the severity of this problem due to the fact that it is one of the highest ranked types of needed research in the health care industry today. But more importantly to establish and outline the underlying main reasons behind why there isn’t an increase of funding, along with examining how an increase can benefit the 450 million people who suffer with a mental disorder worldwide (World Health Organization, 2003).
Overall, with an increase in funding in the mental health industry, people and its communities can have the chance to seek for the help they need.
The behavioural/mental health sector is a $99 billion industry, yet mental health still remains to be one of the most neglected and under resourced areas in public health, regardless of the fact that the need is ever growing (Bhattacharya et all. 2001). In the diagram displayed below, it is clear that mental disorders represent one of the top burdens worldwide, therefore has more than enough reason to take action more seriously in terms of funding.
Figure 1: Burden of diseases worldwide (World Health Organization, 2003)
One common theme found in the mental health care industry is the deficiency of acknowledgement, in terms of overall health status and the well-being of the people involved. The consequence and cause to this is the fact that mental health research is poorly funded and developed due to politics, the economy, and stigma. Even with the limited imbursement given, money is being spent with limited value and accountability (Bhattacharya et all. 2001). Despite all this, mental health is not even considered near to the same degree as importance as physical health, so its neglectfulness results in this area of public health to be poorly studied; hence suffering people who don’t receive treatment to its full potential (World Health Organization, 2003).
This report is created for the general public, researchers, decision-makers, and primary care specialists, to make them more aware of the severity of this problem due to the fact that it is one of the highest ranked types of needed research in the health care industry today. But more importantly to establish and outline the underlying main reasons behind why there isn’t an increase of funding, along with examining how an increase can benefit the 450 million people who suffer with a mental disorder worldwide (World Health Organization, 2003).
Overall, with an increase in funding in the mental health industry, people and its communities can have the chance to seek for the help they need.
References: "I do drink a lot, I think it 's symptomatic of my depression, I 'm a Manic Depressive, I 'm not an alcoholic" – Amy Winehouse (Vasey, 2011) “Now Amy Winehouse is dead is not preventable today. We need to review the way society treats addicts – not as criminals but as sick people in need of care” – Russell Brand (The Guardian, 2011) Figure 3: Prevalence of Depression (World Health Organization, 2003) “Mental illnesses affect people of all ages, educational and income levels, and cultures 2.0 LOW FUNDING ANALYSIS Figure 4: Challenges faced in the mental health care sector (World Health Organization, 2007) This absence of funding is not only inefficient but unnecessary because of the benefits that interventions can bring to the significant mental health burden and its impact on the poor in North America (Curran et all. 2005). Figure 5: Poverty and mental disorders: a vicious circle (World Health Organization, 2003) As mentioned above about evidence proving mental illness is most common with the less fortunate, this creates an economic burden alone So not only does the effected family have to be exposed by stigma and discrimination but they have to suffer with having a loved one being affected by a mental disorder that takes over their life (World Health Organization, 2003).