Global Health Blogs with Professor Swahn

Mental health disorders affect people of all races, genders, and socioeconomic statuses; it knows no bounds. According to the World Health Organization approximately 450 million people worldwide are suffering from a mental health disorder, and 1 in 4 people in the world will be affected by a mental health disorder at some point in their life. Mental health disorders include anxiety disorders, depression and bipolar disorder, eating disorders, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychotic disorders including schizophrenia. Regardless of the type of mental health disorder a person suffers from they all have a significant impact on a person’s health and quality of life.

            There is a lot of stigma surrounding mental health disorders. People often view individuals who have a mental health disorder as dangerous, incompetent, or unpredictable. Those who have a mental health disorder often face discrimination when it comes to employment, housing, and health care. Stigma is one of the biggest deterrents for delayed mental health care or not seeking care at all.

While people all over the world face stigma associated with their mental health disorder, people in developing countries face a significant amount of stigma. Governments of developing countries spend significantly less money on mental health services when compared to developed countries. They often only offer mental health services through hospitals and not in a community setting. Because mental health services are typically only offered through hospitals many people with mental health disorders in developing countries go untreated. The “treatment gap”  is the proportion of people who need but do not receive care, and the WHO estimates that the treatment gap for individuals with serious mental health disorders in developed countries is 35-50% and 76-90% in developing countries. It is very apparent that something needs to be done to address the stigma around mental health disorders in developing countries.

            One way to address the stigma surrounding mental health disorders in developing countries is to educate the general population of those countries about mental health disorders. In some developing countries people with mental health disorders are viewed as almost nonhuman; they are often taken to shamans or local healers and forced to endure torturous treatments. If people were to have a basic understanding of mental health, they would be more likely to treat those in their community suffering from a mental health disorder with compassion and care instead of ostracizing them. This could be accomplished by developing campaigns aimed at educating people by producing billboards, leaflets, and tv commercials with facts about what is and what is not a mental health disorder. Another approach is to educate community leaders, tribe leaders, or community elders about mental health disorders and then send them out into their communities to educate the people.

            Another way to address the stigma surrounding mental health disorders in developing countries is to develop a mental health literacy program for schools. By implementing a mental health literacy program for schools, young children in developing countries can learn about mental health disorders. The benefit of educating young children about this topic is that they will have a better understanding of what mental health is, be less likely to stigmatize or discriminate against people with mental health disorders as they get older, and can encourage any family members who are suffering from a mental health disorder to seek treatment and help. The addition of mental health education in schools has the potential to significantly reduce mental health stigma over time.

            A third way to address the stigma surrounding mental health disorders in developing countries is to provide services and support through peers in the community who have experienced similar mental health experiences and have overcome them. People often feel more comfortable sharing their personal information with a friend or a trusted member of the community who they already know. Training people in the community would help to reduce stigma because they have the knowledge and power to educate people within the community on mental health disorders. Trained community leaders would also be able to encourage people suffering from a mental health disorder to seek treatment and be able to answer any questions about treatment they or their families might have. 

            Mental health disorders affect all types of people. Stigma surrounding mental health disorders prevents people from seeking treatment, obtaining jobs, and ultimately affects a person’s life in many negative ways. While all people with mental health disorders face some sort of stigma, people with mental health disorders who live in developing countries face a significantly higher amount of stigma. There are many ways to address the stigma surrounding mental health disorders in developing countries such as educating the general population about mental health disorders, implementing mental health literacy programs in schools, and training peers in the community to provide services and support. With policy changes and education regarding mental health disorders in developing countries, we can tackle the stigma that surrounds it and improve the lives of people suffering from a mental health disorder in developing countries.

References:

Mascayano, F., Armijo, J. E., & Yang, L. H. (2015). Addressing stigma relating to mental illness in low- and middle-income countries. Frontiers in psychiatry, 6, 38. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00038

Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2016 Aug 3. 4, Approaches to Reducing Stigma. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK384914/