This year’s annual World Mental Health Day falls at a time of global crisis, in which people are adapting to new circumstances, facing anxiety about unknown situations, caught in dire humanitarian settings, and standing in the midst of social isolation. COVID-19 has impacted every global citizen, impacted every sector, and touched every corner of the world. While the viral infection has shown to affect various organs in the body, the social situations it has created are affecting the mental health of people across all nations.
This year, the World Health Organization is creating a campaign advocating for increased investment in mental health. It will host its first inaugural global online advocacy event on World Mental Health Day—October 10th—and has already lunched an online portal with public resources which can aid in fostering mental well-being and resilience.
As conditions that impact mental health and well-being deteriorate, we are reminded that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among those aged 15-24 years and takes the lives of nearly 800,000 people each year. Furthermore, as the U.S. struggles to manage its opioid epidemic, substance use and addition becomes even more difficult to address. Many health care facilities are operating remotely, making access to medicine and treatment programs especially challenging. At GHELI we are wondering: how can we leverage education and focus on advocacy to address these evolving circumstances? To learn out more about these topics, explore GHELI’s Resource Pack on Mental Health and Addiction.