Mental Health – Issues and challenges

Why in News?

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) report revealed that, more than 1 billion people are living with mental health disorders.

What is mental health?

• Mental health – The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.
• Mental health is a public and global health topic that is not discussed as much as physical health.

• Causes

• Issues – The issues and impacts of mental health are
  • Impacts everyone – Mental health conditions adversely affect people of all ages and income levels.
  • Reason for disability – They represent the second biggest reason for long-term disability, contributing to loss of healthy life.
  • Increases health care costs – They drive up health-care costs for affected people and families while inflicting substantial economic losses on a global scale.
  • Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges.
  • Stigma and reluctance – The hesitancy to seek help and treatment and lack of manpower remain the major concerns in the sector.
• Lifestyle components

What are the key findings of the report?

• Report – The new findings published in two reports
  • World mental health today
  • Mental Health Atlas 2024
• These highlight some areas of progress while exposing significant gaps in addressing mental health conditions worldwide.
• Status of women – The report shows that while prevalence of mental health disorders can vary by sex, women are disproportionately impacted overall.
• Anxiety and depressive disorders – These are the most common types of mental health disorders among both men and women.
• Suicide – It remains a devastating outcome, claiming an estimated 7,27,000 lives in 2021 alone.
• It is a leading cause of death among young people across all countries and socioeconomic contexts.
• Despite global efforts, progress in reducing suicide mortality is too low to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of a one-third reduction in suicide rates by 2030.
• On the current trajectory, only a 12% reduction will be achieved by that deadline.
• Economic impact – While health-care costs are substantial, the indirect costs – particularly in lost productivity – are far greater.
• Depression and anxiety alone cost the global economy an estimated $1 trillion each year.
• Global Efforts – The 2024 Mental Health Atlas found that since 2020, countries have been making significant strides in strengthening their mental health policies and planning.
• The report states that most countries have functional mental health promotion initiatives such as early childhood development, school-based mental health and suicide prevention programmes.
• Over 80% of countries now offer mental health and psychosocial support as part of emergency responses, up from 39% in 2020.
• Outpatient mental health services and tele-health are becoming more available, though access remains uneven.
• Measures to be taken – The WHO has said that, greater investment and action are needed globally to scale up services to protect and promote people’s mental health.
• The findings also underscore the urgent need for sustained investment, stronger prioritization.
• Multi-sectoral collaboration to expand access to mental health care, reduce stigma, and tackle the root causes of mental health conditions.

What are the flaws in the mental care environment?

• Absence of legal reforms – While many countries have updated their policies, adopted rights-based approaches, and enhanced preparedness for mental health and psychosocial support during health emergencies, this momentum has not translated into legal reform.
• Countries remain off track to achieve the targets set in WHO’s Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan.
• Fewer countries have adopted or enforced rights-based mental health legislation, and only 45% of countries evaluated laws in full compliance with international human rights standards.
• Reduced investments – The report reveals a concerning stagnation in mental health investment.
• Median government spending on mental health remains at just 2% of total health budgets, unchanged since 2017.
• Disparities in investments – While high-income countries spend up to $65 per person on mental health, low-income countries spend as little as $0.04.
• Less availability of mental health experts – The global median number of mental health workers stands at 13 per 100,000 people, with extreme shortages in low- and middle-income countries.
• Less Reforms and development of mental health services – Fewer than 10% of countries have fully transitioned to community-based care models, with most countries still in the early stages of transition.
• Inpatient care continues to rely heavily on psychiatric hospitals, with nearly half of admissions occurring involuntarily and over 20% lasting longer than a year.
• Integration of mental health into primary care is advancing, with 71% of countries meeting at least three of five WHO criteria.
• Gaps in data – Only 22 countries provided sufficient data to estimate service coverage for psychosis.
• Lack of care – In low-income countries fewer than 10% of affected individuals receive care, compared to over 50% in higher-income nations, highlighting an urgent need to expand access and strengthen service delivery.

What is India’s status on mental health?

• Progress made – There has been significant infrastructure development, the national tele-mental health programme has expanded.
• The educational development is happening at a fast pace and focused work is being done to create awareness about mental health and the treatment.
• Insufficient budget – India’s direct mental health budget has remained at roughly ₹1,000 crore for recent fiscal years, with FY 2025-26 allocating ₹1,004 crore.
• This constitutes just over 1% of the Ministry’s budget, with significant portions going to central institutions and programmes.
• Adequate funding for community-based programmes and the effective utilisation of allocated funds is still a concern.
• Lack of experts – India has a significant shortfall of mental health professionals, with roughly 0.7 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, far below the WHO’s recommended ratio of 3 per 100,000 people.

What is the way ahead?

• Governments and global partners could urgently intensify efforts toward systemic transformation of mental health systems worldwide.
• Equitable financing of mental health services, legal and policy reform to uphold human rights, can be carried out.
• Sustained investment in the mental health workforce and expansion of community-based, person-centered care could be done.

If you are in distress, please reach out to MANAS at 14416 or 18008914416 and Sanjivini Society for Mental Health at 011-40769002

Reference

The Hindu| Mental health

Pandemic Preparedness by Vulture Conservation

Why in News?

Recent decline in vulture populations reminds us the connection between their conservation and pandemic preparedness, alarms need for natural conservation of vultures.

What are vultures?

• Vultures – These are large birds that feed mostly on animals found dead and that are related to the hawks and eagles but have weaker claws and the head usually naked.
• Diet – All vultures feed on carrion (animal carcasses), except for palm-nut vultures (Gyphohierax angolensis), which feed on the fruit of the oil palm.
• Some species also hunt small prey, such as insects, lizards, smaller birds and rodents.
• The pieces of decaying meat and skin are less apt to stick to bare heads than to a thick mat of feathers.
• Incubation – Vultures usually have one mate a year. Nests are constructed using sticks and leaves, and are built in trees and cliffs. The same nest may be used for several years.
• Ecological importance – Vultures are critical for maintaining ecosystem balance by removing carcasses, helps prevent the spread of pathogens like anthrax, Clostridium botulinum, rabies.
• Historical population decline – Once numbering over 40 million in India, vulture populations have plummeted by over 95% since the 1990s due to the use of diclofenac.
• It is highlighting a significant public health issue linked to biodiversity loss.

What role do vultures play?

• Safeguards ecosystems health – As nature's clean-up crew, vultures play a crucial role in maintaining the health of our ecosystems by consuming dead animals.
• Controlling spread of diseases – Their scavenging activities likely control the spread of diseases, thus protecting both wildlife and human communities from potential outbreaks.
• Recycling nutrients – Vultures and their behavior of consuming carcasses helps recycle nutrients back into the soil.
• This potentially helps promote vegetation growth and maintains sustainable and healthy ecosystems.
• This natural waste management is both free and environmentally beneficial,
• Providing advantages to livestock farmers – Vultures reduces the need for artificial disposal methods such as transport to incineration plants.
• This minimizes related insurance pay-outs and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Cultural and spiritual significance – In many societies and regions vultures attract ecotourism, which generates substantial income for local communities.
• Their presence supports biodiversity and enhances ecosystem resilience.

How are vultures linked to pandemic preparedness?

• Carcass management – By being the first to encounter carcasses, vultures can help in surveillance and safe management of potential zoonotic spillover sources.

A Carcass is the dead body of an animal, especially one that is to be cut up for meat or eaten by other animals. It can also refer to the frame or remains of an old, broken, or destroyed object, like a building or a vehicle.

• Reduction of zoonotic spillover – The promptly disposing of carcasses by vultures reduce the risk of zoonotic spillover.
• This further, prevents transmission of pathogens from animals to humans, resists the emergence of pandemics.
• Regional and global health linkages – As part of the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), vultures connect ecosystems and disease risks across borders.

Central Asian Flyway (CAF), a migratory route connecting breeding grounds in Central Asia to wintering areas across South Asia. This corridor spans more than 30 countries and is traversed by millions of migratory birds each year.

• Ecosystem surveillance – Vultures act as natural bio-monitors or first responders at carcasses, helping in early detection of outbreaks and providing crucial data.
• Conservation as preparedness – Lower-cost vulture conservation efforts, such as banning harmful drugs, creating safe zones can build systemic resilience against pandemics.
• Vulture conservation essential for both biodiversity and public health.

What strategies can help protect vultures in India?

• A post 2025 strategy with 5 pillars includes
  • Satellite telemetry – Implement nationwide tracking to map habitats and spillover hotspots.
  • Decision Support System (DSS) – Integrate wildlife, livestock, and human health data for real-time risk analysis.
  • Cross-sector coordination – Strengthen links between environment, veterinary, and public health sectors within a One Health framework.
  • Transboundary collaboration – Work collaboratively through the Central Asian Flyway to enhance regional disease preparedness.
  • This collaboration to be aligned with commitments under the Convention on Migratory Species and stronger disease preparedness.
  • Community stewardship – Empower local communities, especially women and youth, to take active roles in surveillance and awareness.
• Long-term goals – Transitioning to a broader resilience framework by embedding health security dimensions into the existing Vulture Action Plan can conserve species and reduce pandemic risks.
• Investing in vulture conservation – Vulture conservation is modest compared to the potential costs of disease outbreaks, making it a vital area for intervention

What lies ahead?

• Protecting vultures is not only essential for conserving wildlife but also for maintaining the vital ecosystem services that all life depends on.
• The contribution of vultures may be formally recognized in pandemic preparedness strategies as holistic and sustainable measure.
• Local communities, who live alongside vultures, are critical partners in conservation efforts can be effectively utilized for better coordination and support.

References

1. The Hindu| Pandemic Preparedness by Vulture Conservation
2. Vulturesday.org