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Mental Health Is a Human Right

October 10, 2023
Mental Health Is a Human Right

Whether it be a diagnosable mental health condition or a period of emotional distress, nearly everyone will face a mental health challenge at some point in their life. However, despite the ubiquity of such challenges, mental health conditions and mental health treatment remain heavily stigmatized in many parts of the world. This year’s World Mental Health Day, which falls annually on October 10, urges us to remember that mental health is a universal human right.

Mental health and human rights are closely intertwined—human rights violations can significantly impact a person’s mental health. At the same time, people with mental health conditions are more likely to experience human rights abuses.

The right to mental health is an extension of the right to health—with two important recognitions. First, there is no health without mental health, and second, mental health is more than just an absence of mental illness. Under a human rights framework, every person with mental health difficulties should have the right to be protected from mental health risks, the right to access quality and affordable mental health care, and the right to freedom, dignity, and choice.

According to the 2022 World Mental Health Report, nearly one in eight people globally are living with a diagnosable mental disorder, yet treatment is too often inaccessible, unaffordable, or socially stigmatized. To realize the right to mental health, global health leaders will need to take united action on investing in culturally-responsive systems that boost resilience, reduce inequity, and protect human rights. To learn more about the global burden of mental health disorders, explore our resource pack on Global Mental Health and Addiction available in the GHELI online repository, or check out the selected resources below.

Selected Resources