90% of mentally ill in developing countries do not receive any help

The Lancet medical journal in the recently conducted series of research found that 90% of mentally ill in developing countries do not receive any help. According to BBC , up to 800 thousand people annually commit suicide, mainly in the poorest countries. Experts believe that it is necessary to develop a new approach to the problem of mental health and allocate more funds for the treatment of mentally ill in developing countries. Moreover, they make up 14% of all patients in the world.

Mental illnesses are wider than cancer and heart disease. Of all the mentally ill worlds, more than 80% falls on poor countries, while they almost do not care about them due to poverty and prejudices.

Observers warn that as a result of wars, poverty and epidemics, more and more people suffer from mental disorders. Since they often do not have the opportunity to get qualified help, the situation in their countries only worsens. Often, poverty interferes with the care of mentally ill. For example, in India, of 40-50 million patients with schizophrenia, depression and other similar diseases, only 7-8%are treated. The mentally ill Brazilians beg in the streets and spend the night under the bridges.

In addition to poverty, there is another serious problem. In backward countries, society does not have mercy for mentally sick fellow citizens. In some countries, they are kept chained to the trees or locked in cells. In Zambia, patients themselves do not seek to seek help, because they are considered sorcerers or obsessed devil.

Native and friends of the patients also suffer. According to the testimonies received in India and Pakistan, a underwear child may well grow up in a mother suffering from depression.

Many experts believe that in the conditions of lack of health resources, the way out is to include the main psychiatric services in the general healthcare system designed to maintain the population. Thus, psychiatric care can be provided cheap and simple.