Make mental health & well-being for all a priority -World Mental Health Day

Whilst the pandemic has and continues to, take its toll on our mental health, the ability to reconnect through World Mental Health Day 2022 will provide us with an opportunity to re-kindle our efforts to protect and improve mental health.

Many aspects of mental health have been challenged, and already before the pandemic in 2019, an estimated one in eight people globally were living with a mental disorder. At the same time, the services, skills, and funding available for mental health remain in short supply and fall far below what is needed, especially in low and middle-income countries.

Stigma and discrimination continue to be a barrier to social inclusion and access to the right care; importantly, we can all play our part in increasing awareness about which preventive mental health interventions work, and World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to do that collectively. We envision a world in which mental health is valued, promoted, and protected; where everyone has an equal opportunity to enjoy mental health and exercise their human rights; and where everyone can access the mental health care they need.

We must deepen the value and commitment we give to mental health as individuals, communities, and governments and match that value with more commitment, engagement, and investment by all stakeholders, across all sectors. We must strengthen mental health care so that the full spectrum of mental health needs is met through a community-based network of accessible, affordable, and quality services and supports.