Global Mental Health Fact Sheet (September 2007)

withoutmental healththere is nohealththe definition ofhealthin the WHO Organic Law that "health is not only the elimination ofdiseaseor weakness, but the complete state of physical, mental and social health", which clearly states the basic nature of mental healthMental health is an integral part of this definitionPublic health and health promotion objectives and traditions applicable to the prevention ofsuch as infection or cardiovasculardiseases are equally effective in the field of mental healthMental health is not only the concept of mental health
is not only a state of health in which each person is able to fulfil his or her ability to cope with normal life pressures, to work productively and to contribute to his or her communityIn a positive sense, mental health is the basis for individuals and communities to function healthily and effectively The core concepts are consistent between the diverse and wide range of interpretations of mental health by different cultures Mental health promotion covers a wide range of strategies, all aimed at positive lying on mental health Like all health promotions, mental health promotion includes action to create living conditions and environments that support mental health and allow people to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles This includes a range of actions to increase opportunities for more people to experience better mental health Mental health is determined by socio-economic and environmental factors
and mental health and mental health disorders are determined by a variety of interactions with social, psychological and biological factors The most obvious evidence is related to poverty indicators, including low levels of education, and in some studies related to poor housing and low incomes The persistent and growing socio-economic disadvantage of individuals and communities is considered a high-risk factor for mental health Factors such as experiences of insecurity and helplessness, rapid social change, and the risk of violence and poor physical health can explain the greater vulnerability of disadvantaged groups in each community to mental health disorders The environment of respecting and protecting basic civil, political, socio-economic and cultural rights is also the basis for mental health promotion Without the safety and freedom that these rights provide, it is very difficult to maintain a high level of mental health Mental health is linked to behaviour
mental, social and behavioural health problems may interact to exacerbate their impact on behaviour and health On the one hand, substance abuse, violence and abuse of women
and children, on the other hand,
hiv/
AIDS , depression and anxiety, are more common and more difficult to address in high unemployment , low-income , limited education
, stress
work, gender discrimination, social exclusion, unhealthy lifestyles and human rights violations Strengthening the value and visibility of mental health promotion National mental health policy should focus not only on the of mental health disorders, but also on should recognize and address broader aspects of promoting mental health These issues relate to the above-mentioned socio-economic and environmental factors and behaviour This requires the government and the business sector, including education, labour, justice, transport, the environment, housing and welfare, to the health sector, and to integrate mental health promotion into mainstreaming policies and planning Policy makers at the local and national levels are particularly important their actions have an impact on mental health issues in ways that are not known to them Even among the poor, have cost-effective interventions for the promotion of mental health
low-cost, cost-effective and evidence-based interventions for mental health, including: , early childhood interventions
(
, for example, home visits to pregnant women in disadvantaged populations, pre-school psychosocial social interventions, and a combination of nutritional and psychosocial interventions) Support for children
(
e.g skills-building programmes, child and adolescent development planning) the socio-economic empowerment of women (
e.g improved access to education and microcredit programmes) social support to the elderly population (
e.g help-to-play, older population seistation centres); Planning for vulnerable groups, including minorities, indigenous peoples, migrants and people affected by conflict and disaster (e.g psychosocial intervention s after disaster s); Housing policies (e.g improved housing) , violence prevention planning (e.g community policing) and community development planning (e.g 'community care' action, integrated rural development) WHO is committed to promoting mental health WHO supports governments by providing technical materials and recommendations for the implementation of policies, plans and programmes aimed at promoting mental health