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OAKLAND: The world faces an epidemic of mental health issues that transcend borders, economies and cultures, and creates stigma that leaves people in silence.
Addressing the problem requires that political, business and civil society leaders make mental health and well-being a global priority, starting with the discussions on globalization 4.0 held at of this month's annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.
Davos is clearly an appropriate forum to raise the issue. According to a study by the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy a billion dollars a year in lost productivity.
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However, the same study also suggested that every dollar invested in improving the treatment of depression and anxiety – the two most common mental health problems – can generate a gain of $ 4 in terms of improving well-being and work capacity.
GROWTH REQUIRES MENTAL WELFARE
The WHO study is a welcome intervention. For too long, we have detached the mind of the body and considered mental conditions as something separate from our overall health. As a result, millions of people in need of mental health support have been ignored, which has had a significant impact on economic resources, productivity, and results.
Of course, the reality is that physical and mental health are closely linked, each contributing to overall well-being. We must recognize this if we want the world to be a happier and more prosperous place for future generations.
To succeed, efforts to address major global issues such as mental health must be collaborative and sustainable. With this in mind, I urge leaders who join me in Davos to consider adopting four key priorities to support mental health and well-being.
END THE STIGMA, PUNCH INEQUALITY
First, we need to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace. Nobody should suffer in silence from a condition that can be treated and even avoided in some cases.
(Photo: Pixabay / www_slon_pics)
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By recognizing mental health and well-being issues at work, we can also make a difference in our homes, schools and communities. The search for mental health care should be as routine and commonplace as seeking treatment for hypertension, diabetes or heart disease.
In addition, we need to reduce inequalities in mental health, a problem that is often ignored. This is often a problem in low-income communities, where populations are more likely to suffer from pathology and often face the most significant barriers to treatment, in part because of lack of resources. available in richer regions.
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There are innovative approaches to solving this problem, such as Zimbabwe's Friendship Bench, and I hope to learn more about this project from one of its representatives in Davos.
"WELL MAINTAINED"
Third, our health systems must move from "health care" to "health care". To integrate mental wellness into health care and make primary prevention the most effective method, we must understand how to combat the effects of adverse experiences in childhood, which are strongly correlated with poor mental and physical health later in life
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The game changer will not be found in hospitals or clinics, but in communities that nurture rather than traumatize future generations. For companies like ours, it means learning to optimize health, not just health care.
Mentally ill people sit on the steps outside a psychiatric clinic at the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, where six psychiatrists treat up to 500 patients a day. (Photo: Pichayada Promchertchoo)
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Finally, and most relevant to health officials, we must redouble our efforts to connect the body and the mind. By better integrating mental health services into primary health care systems, we can show that a mental health problem is no different than a respiratory, endocrine or cardiac problem.
And people requiring treatment beyond what can be provided in primary care should be able to see a specialist in the same way that they would be referred to an orthopedic surgeon or cardiologist. A healthy mind is just as important to our overall health as strong bones and hearts.
GLOBAL PRIORITY
In the past three years, I have sought to use the World Economic Forum to make mental health and well-being a global priority. This year, I am encouraged and happy to see that mental health will be a more important part of the discussions in Davos.
By bringing together global leaders from all sectors, we can make further progress in ending the silent stigma surrounding mental health issues. We can find innovative ways to improve mental health services and access.
And we can help make mental health a vital part of 4.0 globalization, just as physical well-being is.
Bernard J Tyson is CEO of Kaiser Permanente.
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