General Information: 

• Mental disorders account for 7.4% of the world’s burden of disease in terms of disability-adjusted life years and nearly 25% of all years lived with disability — more than cardiovascular disease or cancer (Source: 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study)
• Suicide is a leading cause of death among young people globally
• Evidence suggests that people with mental disorders are often subject to severe human rights violations

Relevance to the US physician:

• The majority of the world’s population has no access to the pharmacologic, psychological, and social interventions that can transform lives.
• In May 2013, 194 ministers of health adopted the WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan, recognizing mental health as a global health priority.

Bottom Line:

Mental illness is an often-forgotten cause of significant morbidity worldwide. Front-line care delivered by appropriately trained and supervised community-based health workers operating in partnership with emergency physicians, primary care physicians, and mental health specialists is key to address this health crisis.

University of Maryland Section of Global Emergency Health

Author: Terrence Mulligan DO, MPH

References

Transforming Lives, Enhancing Communities — Innovations in Global Mental Health. February 6, 2014 Patel V. and Saxena S. N Engl J Med 2014; 370:498-501

http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMp1315214