Suicides kill more people than natural calamities

Suicides due to mental disorders take more lives every year than terrorism or natural calamities.

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, nearly 800,000 people commit suicide every year due to psychological reasons.

On eve of the World Mental Health Day on Oct 10, a report prepared by the WHO stated that around 350 million people are suffering from depression, and 264 million people face anxiety disorder.

The 36-member Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental economic organization, says that mental disorders are affecting 20% of global working population. It apprehends that if left unchecked, the psychological ailments will cost the global economy nearly USD16 trillion by 2030.

The WHO — a specialized agency of the UN, concerned with international public health, has documented that 450 million people across the world are affected by mental disorders.

It has further documented that in a 10-year period, from 2005-2015, the prevalence of psychological ailments has increased by 16% due to conflicts and migration. At least one in every nine people, who live in a conflict area, has reported mental illness.

The report said at least 79% of suicides were reported from low and middle-income countries. It further revealed that 10-20% of children and adolescent are affected with some psychological disorder. At least 50% of those mentally challenged are affected by this disease before the age of 14.

More alarming is that over 40% of countries do not have mental health care policies. Another 30% do not a possess mental health care program and 25% of countries do not have mental health care regulations.

As many as 23 million people have reported schizophrenia and 60 million people bipolar disease. The number of dementia patients has also increased to 50 million.

According to WHO, two in every three people do not come for treatment, fearing exclusion from society.

In 2018, 76%-85% of people from low and middle-income groups affected by psychological disorders could not receive treatment. In high-income countries, 35%-50% of people did not receive treatment.

According to the World Bank’s data, psychological diseases and substance use disorder are affecting 10% of the working population in the world. But the OECD has put this figure at 20%.