Global mental health: Costs, poverty, violence, and socioeconomic determinants of health

Abstract

Global mental health has as a goal to study mental health in countries worldwide from a broad, international perspective that considers all populations of the world and takes into account their cultural and country-specific peculiarities and complexities. This is the perspective of international public organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Secretary for Health. Sound and informative global data about mental disorders are highly important because they draw attention to the magnitude of the burden; can be used to study causes, risk factors, treatment coverage, and inequalities; and inform policies and public health actions to reduce the burden experienced by individuals and society. Reliable global data became even more important with the endorsement in September 2015 of sustainable development goals and the unprecedented inclusion of mental health and substance abuse in two of the sustainable development goal targets. Sound and reliable sources of global mental health are, however, rare. The economic and societal burdens of mental disorders are huge, estimated at US$2.5 trillion in 2010 and projected to be an astonishing US$6.0 trillion by 2030. These costs are made up of treatment expenditures and costs associated with loss of income. In addition, in 2010, 7.4% of all disability-adjusted life years worldwide were due to mental and substance use disorders. In this chapter we present and discuss relevant conceptualizations, data sources, and costs, making the link between mental disorders and well-being, poverty, violence, and socioeconomic determinants of health from a global perspective.