Stop ignoring mental health disorders

Mental health is an active state of mind which enables a person to use their abilities in coordination with the common human tenets of society.
Mental health is the pivot of human life. However, despite its importance, it is often the least prioritised among health conditions.
In low and medium income countries such as Uganda where many are ignorant about mental health diseases, the demand for steadfast mental healthcare can seem a luxury.
In the midst of an economic squeeze, many people are more likely to sink than float. We are perhaps learning that mental health is not a luxury after all. Depression, anxiety disorders, and elevated stress levels are the most common.

Uganda is ranked among the top six countries in Africa in rates of depressive disorders. About 5.1 percent of females and 3.6 percent of males are affected.  Only 1 percent of those in need of mental healthcare have access to it. There is only one mental hospital in Uganda – Butabika hospital.
Research shows that an estimated 76 percent–99 percent of people with serious mental health conditions have no access to the treatment they need. 

Sustained stress exposure causes people to turn to damaging behaviour like crime, reckless sexual acts, violence, domestic abuse, and substance abuse.
Government must immerse itself into evidence-based policymaking and practices that should be adopted to guide how mental health challenges can be mitigated in different contexts.
The use of various methods such as phone-in calls, radio programmes and tele-counselling. These must start at workplaces, like yours and mine. Everyone needs a support system from somewhere.  Organisations must seek to support their people beyond pushing them to meet targets and deadlines in order to smash profit targets.

Policies are more likely to achieve the desired effect when they reflect a clear commitment, are well conceptualised, and are consistent with the existing evidence base. Furthermore, mental health policies should reflect a broad consensus among key stakeholders.
In light of the rising burden of mental illness, there is a clear need for well-developed, articulated, and aggressively implemented national mental health care policies. Such policies should be designed to improve the care of, and reduce the burden on, those individuals with mental health issues.

Successful mental health policy development can be a lengthy iterative process that requires high-level mandate, leadership, and commitment.
A common implementation framework incorporating a community collaborative multi-sectoral, task shifting and self-help approach to integrating mental health into primary healthcare holds promise for closing the treatment gap for mental disorders.p