World Mental Health Day 2006: `Building Awareness -- Reducing Risks: Suicide And Mental Illness'

World Mental Health Day 2006: `Building Awareness -- Reducing Risks: Suicide And Mental Illness'

October 10, 2006

The World Health Organization Calls for Improved Treatment for Mental Illness to Reduce Suicide

    GENEVA, Oct. 10 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The World Health
Organization (WHO) supports the World Federation for Mental
Health's World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2006, which
focuses this year on `Building Awareness -- Reducing Risk:
Mental Illness and Suicide'.  It calls attention to suicide
as a leading cause of premature and preventable death.  WHO
recognizes the need to build awareness and reduce risks in
the areas of suicide and, more broadly, mental illness. 

    (Logo: 
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040610/CNTH001LOGO )

    "All too often, suicide represents a tragic
consequence of failing to diagnose and treat serious mental
illness," said Dr Anders Nordstrom, Acting
Director-General of WHO, "It requires a concerted
public health response globally, nationally, and also from
communities and families, to reduce suicide by reducing
mental illness.  World Mental Health Day is an important
opportunity to recognize the magnitude of the problem, as
well as the necessary steps towards the solutions."

    An estimated 873,000 people commit suicide every year,
which represents 1.4% of the global burden of disease.  The
proportion of the global disease burden due to suicide
varies regionally, from 0.2% in Africa up to 2.6% in the
Western Pacific Region.  Suicide among young people is of
significant concern: in some regions, suicide is the third
leading cause of death in the age group 15-35 years. 
Suicide is the leading cause of death for this age group in
China and the second in the European region.   

    "More than 90% of all cases of suicide are
associated with mental disorders such as depression,
schizophrenia and alcoholism," notes Dr Benedetto
Saraceno, Director of the Department of Mental Health for
WHO, "Therefore, reducing the global suicide rate
means effectively addressing the serious and growing burden
of mental illness around the world."

    At any time, 450 million people worldwide are affected
by mental, neurological or behavioral problems, and the
rate is steadily rising.  In spite of existing knowledge
about effective treatments for most psychiatric disorders,
huge gaps in treatment and resources exist.  For example, a
recent WHO study in 14 countries showed that, in developing
countries, between 76 to 85% of serious cases of mental
illness did not receive any treatment within the prior
year.  Furthermore, data from the WHO Mental Health Atlas
2005 show a tremendous human resource gap in the developing
regions of the world. 

    In order to effectively address these gaps, mental
health policy, plans and legislation must be integrated
into national health systems.  Promoting mental health,
preventing mental disorders, mainstreaming cost-effective
interventions in primary health care, promoting community
care, and engaging with local communities should be key
components of national mental health plans and policies.  

    WHO provides guidance to reduce the burden of mental
disorders and suicide worldwide.  WHO has initiated a
global action program to assist countries to create and
implement coherent and comprehensive mental health
policies, plans and legislation, and to ensure adequate
mental health care is available at the community level,
including development of human resources for mental
health.

    LINKS:

    World Mental Health Day 2006: World Federation of
Mental Health website:
     http://www.wfmh.com/wmhday2006.htm 

    WHO Mental Health website
    
http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/

    Mental Health Atlas 2005
     http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/atlas/

    For further information, please contact:

     Dr Benedetto Saraceno, 
     Director of WHO's Department of Mental Health, Geneva
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

     Jane McElligott, 
     Communications officer, World Health Organization,
Geneva, 
     Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

    All press releases, fact sheets and other WHO media
material can be found at http://www.who.int .

SOURCE  World Health Organization