World Mental Health Day is observed every year on October 10 around the world with the aim of raising awareness about mental health issues and mobilising efforts in support of mental health.
World Mental Health Day 2022 Theme
The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) celebrates the day with a different theme every year. The theme for World Mental Health Day 2022 is – Make mental health for all a global priority.
World Mental Health Day 2022 History
World Mental Health Day was first observed on October 10, 1992, as an annual activity of World Federation for Mental Health. The day initially did not have a specific theme and its aim was mental health advocacy and educating the public on relevant issues. Seeing the popularity of the campaign, in 1994 for the first time a theme for the day was used which was “Improving the Quality of Mental Health Services throughout the World.”
World Mental Health Day Data
Before the pandemic of 2019, an estimated one in eight people in the world lived with mental disorders. However, mental health services, skills, and funding remain in short supply, especially in low and middle-income countries.
World Health Organization (WHO) data show that the COVID-19 pandemic caused a 25 percent increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. An estimated 12 billion working days are lost each year to depression and anxiety, which the WHO estimates costs the global economy nearly $1 trillion.
Mental Health Data India
According to a WHO report, between 1990 and 2017, one in seven people from India have suffered mental illness such as depression, anxiety and other severe conditions.