Mental Health is Not Sexy

Mental Health is Not Sexy

By Ivana Hussu, 30 October 2024

The challenge of mental health is a relatively new interest in the global health field, compared to other areas, such as infectious diseases, cancer or diabetes. However, the problem of mental health is far from being new, it is rather an issue that has been often overlooked. 

For a long time, mental illness was often either ignored or poorly understood. Institutions like asylums were the main form of treatment for those suffering from severe misunderstood conditions. These institutions were often underfunded and overcrowded, resulting in inhumane conditions. The deinstitutionalisation movement of the mid-20th century aimed to address this, leading to the closure of many mental hospitals. Unfortunately, in some cases this resulted in many patients being abandoned without proper care or any kind of assistance. 

At the Irish Global Health Network 2024 Conference in Dublin, during a parallel session, a participant asked, “How do you manage the funding challenge in the mental health field?”. 

“It is tough. Mental Health is not sexy, it is your fault if you are depressed.” responded Dr. April Hargreaves, representing the National College of Ireland. Dr. Hargreaves, a neuropsychologist, completed her doctorate on schizophrenia’s cognitive impacts and therapies. She co-founded the SAMI lab, leading international research on mental health stigma. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental disorders are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, yet the field is still one of the least funded among all of the global health areas. Only a small fraction of those affected with mental health illnesses receive proper treatment. This gap is especially wide in low-income countries, where only a minimal percentage of people with serious mental health conditions, such as psychosis or depression, receive adequate care. 

The stigma around mental health continues to contribute to its invisibility, with many individuals and governments failing to recognize it as a serious public health issue deserving of attention and resources. The stigmatisation of mental illness reinforces a cycle: because mental health issues are stigmatised, they receive less funding, and because they receive less funding, the conditions remain poorly understood and inadequately addressed. This perpetuates the belief that mental health is less deserving of support, consequently maintaining its invisibility on the global health agenda. 

Despite the growing awareness of the importance of mental health, it is still often regarded as less urgent than other health challenges, resulting in significantly lower funding levels when compared to other areas like infectious diseases. WHO’s recent report urges a transformation in attitudes and policies toward mental health care, highlighting that greater investment and systemic changes are necessary to close this funding and care gap. Mental health remains a neglected crisis, with billions worldwide still lacking access to basic mental health services.