As every year, on October 10th, at Sisters Hospitallers, we celebrate the World Mental Health Day. This time we do it by joining the motto of the World Federation for Mental Health: “Mental Health for all. Greater investment, greater access.”
Mental health for all
This important day is celebrated this year, at a time when our daily lives have been considerably altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic consequences of the pandemic are already leaving many consequences in this sector; For this reason, this year’s World Mental Health Day campaign has set out to achieve increased investments in favor of mental health.
The current global pandemic has occurred at a time that is already complicated, as mental illnesses are on the rise throughout the world:
- One person in four will be affected by a mental disorder at some stage in their life. Mental, neurological and substance use diseases represent 13% of all illnesses worldwide (WHO, 2012).
- The World Economic Forum, in 2018, pointed out that mental health disorders are on the rise in all countries of the world and could cost the global economy up to $ 16 trillion, between 2010 and 2030. If an answer is not given now, we will face an international mental health crisis, which will be exacerbated by the need for psychosocial support and mental health interventions, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hospitality for mental health
From Sisters Hospitallers we join this request with special dedication, since, for 139 years, we have worked in the reception, specialized care, comprehensive assistance, as well as the social and labor reintegration of people with mental illness. As a Hospital Community we are committed so that these people, being protagonists of their own history, can improve their quality of life and achieve, more and more, achievements like the ones they tell us in this video.