Mental illness is a major global contributor to disability, morbidity and mortality

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as, “a state of well-being in which an individual realizes their potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and can make a contribution to the community”

A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study had five types of mental illnesses, being anxiety disorders, major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and dysthymia.

Despite such a high global disease burden, there is a disproportionately weak response to mental illness, characterised by a lack of prioritization of resources and policies.

There is inadequate spending in mental health, with the bulk of the inadequate financial resources allocated to neuropsychiatric hospitals and less to community-based services regardless of evidence-based recommendations.

As such, there is an urgent need to stimulate the primary healthcare system and other levels of government and their partners, to initiate policies in favour of community-based mental health services. Mental-health promotion strategies, include strategies to empower families, caregivers and patients; integration of care or collaborative interventions; and e-health interventions. Other strategies include group therapy in cases of professional staff shortages; some combination of psychotherapy, psychosocial and pharmacotherapy interventions; and finally, early detection and preventative strategies.

Mental illness prevention strategies that impact our mental health and overall health include talking to someone you trust via face-to-face, making social connections a priority, staying active and creating leisure time to relieve stress and improve one’s mood, eating healthy and sleeping well, finding purpose and meaning such as volunteering and caring for others and finally perhaps most importantly seeking help when required.

Future knowledge, policy, and practice should emphasize mental health promotion, and improvement of early detection and interventions in clinical settings, schools, and the community, with support from society and policy makers.