This document discusses World Mental Health Day and promoting mental health. It notes that around 450 million people suffer from mental disorders and mental health is determined by socioeconomic, biological, and environmental factors. The WHO aims to increase awareness of mental health issues and encourage treatment. Promoting mental health involves early childhood support, socioeconomic empowerment programs, and community development initiatives. Integrating mental and physical healthcare using a holistic model is important for treatment.

1. World Mental Health DayWorld Mental Health Day
1010THTH
OCT 2013OCT 2013
A Presentation byA Presentation by
ASHIMAASHIMA
RAINBOW HOSPITALSRAINBOW HOSPITALS
AGRAAGRA
info@rainbowhospitals.orginfo@rainbowhospitals.org

2. No Health without Mental HealthNo Health without Mental Health
This is an annual event to increase public
awareness about mental health issues by
educating people about mental disorders
and encouraging open discussions
extended to dispel stigma about mental
illness and find easy ways to improve
treatment, services and policies.

3. Extensive research has shown that mental
and physical health problems could lead
to inconsistent access to health care,
stigma and discrimination worsen the
situation. So, yawning gap in the treatment
of mental, neurological and substance use
disorders in under privileged countries.
WHO has recognized mental health
problems like depression and anxiety are
the most common problems of the day
due to stress, broken families, un healthy
environment and other social factors.

4. Mental health: strengthening ourMental health: strengthening our
responseresponse
KEY FACTS
• More than 450 million people suffer from mental
disorders. Many more have mental problems.
• Mental health is an integral part of health;
indeed, there is no health without mental health.
• Mental health is more than the absence of
mental disorders.
• Mental health is determined by socio-economic,
biological and environmental factors.
• Cost-effective intersectoral strategies and
interventions exist to promote mental health.

5. Mental health is an integral and essential
component of health.
The WHO constitution states:
"Health is a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or
infirmity." An important consequence of
this definition is that mental health is
described as more than the absence of
mental disorders or disabilities.

6. Mental health is a state of well-being in
which an individual realizes his or her own
abilities, can cope with the normal
stresses of life, can work productively and
is able to make a contribution to his or her
community. In this positive sense, mental
health is the foundation for individual well-
being and the effective functioning of a
community.

7. Determinants of mental healthDeterminants of mental health
Multiple social, psychological, and
biological factors determine the level of
mental health of a person at any point of
time. For example, persistent socio-
economic pressures are recognized risks
to mental health for individuals and
communities. The clearest evidence is
associated with indicators of poverty,
including low levels of education.

8. Strategies and interventionsStrategies and interventions
Mental health promotion involves actions
to create living conditions and
environments that support mental health
and allow people to adopt and maintain
healthy lifestyles. These include a range of
actions to increase the chances of more
people experiencing better mental health.

9. Promoting mental healthPromoting mental health
depends largely on intersectoraldepends largely on intersectoral
strategies. Specific ways tostrategies. Specific ways to
promote mental health includepromote mental health include::
• Early childhood interventions (e.g. home visits
for pregnant women, pre-school psycho-social
activities, combined nutritional and psycho-
social help for disadvantaged populations);
• Support to children (e.g. skills building
programmes, child and youth development
programmes);
• Socio-economic empowerment of women (e.g.
improving access to education and microcredit
schemes

10. • Social support for elderly populations (E.G. Befriending
initiatives, community and day centres for the aged);
• Programmes targeted at vulnerable groups, including
minorities, indigenous people, migrants and people
affected by conflicts and disasters (E.G. Psycho-social
interventions after disasters);
• Mental health promotional activities in schools (E.G.
Programmes supporting ecological changes in schools
and child-friendly schools);
• Mental health interventions at work (E.G. Stress
prevention programmes);
• Housing policies (E.G. Housing improvement);
• Violence prevention programmes (E.G. Community
policing initiatives); and
• Community development programmes (E.G.
'Communities that care' initiatives, integrated rural
development).

11. Closing the mental health gapClosing the mental health gap
Dr Margaret ChanDr Margaret Chan
Director-General of the World Health OrganizationDirector-General of the World Health Organization
• Data & statistics shows that
• worldwide, more than 150 million people suffer
from depression. Some 125 million people are
affected by alcohol-use disorders.
• As many as 40 million people suffer from
epilepsy, and 24 million from Alzheimer’s
disease and other dementias. Every year, nearly
one million people take their own lives.

12. • Where as in India, close to 15 million
people are battling serious mental health
problems.
• Some 30 million are suffering mild form of
mental illnesses.
• Nearly 50% of victims suffering serious
mental health disorders go untreated in
India.
• Close to 10% of children may be suffering
from some form of mental disorder.

13. InterventionsInterventions

14. Holistic HealthHolistic Health
When the mind gives up, the body does too or
when the body is weak, the mind follows suit…
Therefore, the bottom line clearly is, that
treatment and care for health problems need to
be all encompassing, addressing the body and
mind as one entity. Primary healthcare must
adopt an integrated approach to health issues
by looking at the body to heal the mind, and
treating the mind to cure the body.

15. Holistic model of healthHolistic model of health
Biological
I Psychological
Social
Spiritual