WHO Mental Health Report 2022
A new report from WHO on the state of mental health in 2022 highlights the need to address the problem of youth suicide and the need for more research and more funding to deal with the issue. It also highlights the need for better representation of young people in mental health reports.
Adolescent mental health is neglected
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently released a report on World Mental Health. Its goal is to inspire better mental health practices around the world.
One in ten children and adolescents suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder. In fact, depression is the leading illness among this age group. Moreover, mental disorders are more common among female adolescents than males. However, the report fails to adequately represent the voice of adolescents.
Adolescents also face unique challenges, which can further influence their physical and mental health. For instance, young people tend to be more susceptible to environmental influences than adults. Moreover, many youth are not protected from violence and abuse.
Stigma can increase the risk of suffering from a mental health condition. This stigma can impede access to health care. People also do not talk openly about their experiences.
Telehealth is an important option for treating patients
Telehealth is a medical tool that allows patients to access healthcare from any location. It provides many benefits, such as convenience, affordability, and improved consumer satisfaction. The use of telehealth may be limited by the type of insurance coverage a patient has.
Insurance reimbursement can vary by state. Medicare, Medicaid, and private payers each offer varying degrees of flexibility. In some cases, payment parity between in-person and telehealth services has been widely implemented.
Telehealth programs can also be used to address the shortage of primary care physicians. Several studies have shown that telehealth can improve health outcomes.
One of the key advantages of telehealth is that it helps keep patients at home when they are sick. This reduces the risk of spread of the virus.
Social determinants are seen as fundamental components of practical intervention to restore mental health
Social determinants of health, also known as SDOH, are a broad set of nonmedical factors that affect a person’s health and wellbeing. They include socioeconomic status, education, and geographic characteristics, to name a few. These factors can help drive health inequities.
The medical community is beginning to take a more comprehensive approach to patient care. They are now focusing on the social environment of their patients. It is vital that they understand the role of these factors on their health.
One way to identify the social factors in your community is to use a quality matrix. This tool can help you define a plan and identify potential initiatives.
One of the most important areas of social determinants is socioeconomic status. Individuals living in poverty experience a number of barriers to employment and education.
Treatment gap for mental health in Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are faced with a treatment gap for mental health. This report aims to assess the extent of this gap and to identify the factors that are affecting the access of patients to mental health services. The report also highlights the need to increase resources and to improve the supply of health professionals.
The report indicates that a number of obstacles have hindered the reform process. These include low allocation of health budgets and a slow transition from the hospital to the community model. Despite the fact that Latin American countries have made significant advances in this area, there are still several challenges that need to be overcome.
One major barrier to the implementation of community-based mental healthcare in LAC is a shortage of trained healthcare personnel. Additionally, the region faces difficulties in coordinating the levels of health care and inequitably distributing health resources.
Lack of representation from young people in mental health reports
The World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) latest report on global mental health provides a blueprint for better mental health practices worldwide. It highlights areas of need and calls for action from all stakeholders.
While the report has some notable elements, it largely neglects the importance of involving young people in mental health-related initiatives. However, there have been some pockets of progress, including adolescent-based services in Ireland and Birmingham.
One of the tidbits of this report is the fact that nearly a billion people suffered from some kind of mental disorder in 2019. Another is the remarkably low help-seeking rate among the Asian American Pacific Islander population.
The report also notes that about one in five suicides occur before the age of 50. Meanwhile, a staggering half of all mental disorders begin before the age of 14.
In the U.S., for example, only 1 in 3 Black adults received mental health care. Among the AAPIs, the rate of help-seeking was the lowest of any ethnic group.
