Mental health is a neglected topic in the global context. That the cases of mental disorder are on the rise in every country is, in fact, alarming. It is envisaged that mental health is going to be one of the major public health crises across the world in the coming days. Currently more than 450 million people globally are suffering from mental illness and mental health-related diseases. The number of mental health patients is on the rise in Bangladesh too.According to a recent study, around 3 crore adults or 18.4 per cent of the country’s population are now suffering from mental health problems. Reportly, around 10 lakh people die every year in the world due to mental health problems. In Bangladesh, 10,000-14,000 people die of mental illness every year.
It is disconcerting to learn that the government spends less than one percent of its total health budget on mental healthcare whereas the budgetary allocation for mental health sector in the developing countries should be at least 5 per cent. Reportedly, of the total expenditure, two third is dedicated to mental hospitals only, while around 90 percent of the population does not have access to free essential psychotropic medications.
We must work together to break down
the stigmas and evolve the support and
care for those of all ages who experience
problems with their mental health
In Bangladesh, nine out of every ten people with mental health issues do not receive treatment. The mental healthcare system in Bangladesh is facing multifarious problems including lack of public mental health facilities, scarcity of skilled workforce, inadequate financial resource allocation and social stigma.
Over the last years living standard of people in Bangladesh has improved a lot. Life has become more technical and stress in life has increased much more than any time in the past. Consequently, mental health situation is worsening at an alarming rate. Mental illness is a major health challenge in global context, and in Bangladesh it is yet to receive the mass attention as a public health crisis. In Bangladesh, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, depression and schizophrenia are the top five mental health issues affecting the younger population. The younger set is not the only group that is affected. Even among older age groups, mental health problems are prevalent and experts have repeatedly highlighted the need to raise awareness on it.
The government should look forward to reinforcing country’s mental health services by allocating adequate fund. Also, there is a need to establish a common ground for the global and local communities so that they can intervene into and address the mental health issues prudently. We must work together to break down the stigmas and evolve the support and care for those of all ages who experience problems with their mental health.