WHO releases new report on mental health

MANILA, Oct. 6 (PNA) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization of Family Doctors have released a joint report that aims to help people who are affected by mental disorders but cannot receive the care and treatment they need.

Titled, "Integrating mental health in primary care - a global perspective," the report shows that through detailed examples of best practices from 12 nations, integration can be successfully achieved in a variety of socio-economic contexts.

“Many people present to primary care with a mental disorder but in many countries their problem is not recognized and treated,” said Dr. Ala Alwan, WHO Assistant Director General for Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health.

Alwan said untreated mental health problems cause suffering for individuals, can increase the risk of suicide and impair family and social relations and overall productivity at work.

The report outlines 10 broad principles to guide countries in their efforts to successfully integrate mental health into primary care.

These principles have been derived from an in-depth analysis of the best practices, and range from clear policy directions and resource allocation at national level through to local-level commitment and capacity building on the ground.

One of the key recommendations is to train primary care workers to help them better identify and respond to patients with mental disorders.

However, the effects of training are nearly always short-lived if health workers do not practice newly learned skills and receive specialist supervision over time. Another key recommendation from the report is therefore to set up a system of supervision and ongoing support for primary care workers for integration to be successful.

WHO officials said countries are already benefiting from the lessons and recommendations documented in the report.

They added that though mental disorders represent 13 percent of the total burden of disease, the gap between the number of people affected and the number receiving care and treatment, even for severe conditions, remains enormous.