MENTAL HEALTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

NEETHI LISA ROJAN

P190125MS
With the world still recovering from Covid, in October 2021, the National Crime Records
Bureau published a shocking statistic. According to official statistics, India lost more people
to suicide in 2020 - 1.53 lakh people than Covid- 19, which took 1.46 lakh lives last year. In
this, almost a quarter of the victims were daily wage labourers; more than 10,000 victims
were students.

In a nation like India, where mental health is still considered taboo, the government has yet
to prevent the loss of human capital due to peer pressure and social taboo. The economic
cost of mental disorders is more than 4% of our GDP.

Mental illnesses have recently been identified as the gateway to many aspects hindering
sustainable development. It has been identified to affect educational attainment, income,
nutrition, housing, and social support; it is aggravated by civil unrest, looming wars, and
natural disasters, which may be influenced by climate change. Its burden, again,
disproportionately affects women and girls, limiting their opportunities to go to school and
earn a living. There is a cyclical relationship between poverty and mental illness. Between
2011-2030, mental illness will cost the global economy $16 USD trillion in lost economic
output— more than cancer, diabetes, and respiratory diseases combined.

Mental illness is a leading cause of the global burden of disease. Mental illness causes more
years lived with disability (32.4%) than any other health condition and nearly as many
disability-adjusted life-years (13.0%) as cardiovascular disease (13.5%). People living with
mental illness are also more likely to develop physical health problems and have poorer
physical health outcomes, including higher premature mortality rates.

Mental health is addressed in SDG 3 – “Good health and well-being.” SDG 3.4 calls for
reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and
treatment and promoting mental health and well-being. It includes the reduction of suicide
mortality and treatment of persons affected with mental illness.

Cost-effective solutions to mental health care exist. Studies have also identified that mental
health can be improved through development interventions beyond he health sector.
However, mental health is too often sidelined from international development. This must
change. Mental health slao needs to be addressed to achieve Sustainable development
goals.

NGOs and academia need to maintain momentum and hold the UN to account as guardians
of the SDGs. Lastly, the UN member states need to commit to their 2030 agenda promise to
leave no one behind and ensure prevention, treatment, and inclusion within universal
health coverage for people with mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities.