World Mental Health Day 2023 With Hansei Solutions

Hansei Solutions takes pride in our work to help addiction, mental health, and dual diagnosis treatment centers grow and reach more people needing essential healthcare services. And we always take the opportunity to highlight upcoming events and days that promote mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma.

This brief article discusses World Mental Health Day, why global awareness is important, the most commonly faced mental health challenges worldwide, and how Hansei Solutions’ efforts to help.

What Is World Mental Health Day?

World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10th every year to raise awareness about mental health issues that affect people worldwide. This special day is also dedicated to treatment centers, foundations, and companies that aim to enhance, improve, and expand mental healthcare services globally, identifying areas where they can make a meaningful impact.

World Mental Health Day (WMHD) was founded by the World Federation for Mental Health, and this year marks its 75th anniversary and 31st year of celebrating WMHD. 2023’s campaign and initiative are based on this year’s theme, “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right,” and is the World Federation’s largest campaign ever. Individuals, communities, and institutions worldwide are encouraged to join and participate in in-person and online events and programs and use #WorldMentalHealthDay in any digital or social media posts.

Aligned with Hansei’s beliefs and goals, this day emphasizes mental health within a human rights framework to drive actions that promote and protect the needs of everyone’s mental health, creating a new global value that nurtures the well-being of all.

Read more: 2023 International Overdose Awareness Day.

Why Is Global Mental Health Awareness Important?

Mental health is a basic universal human right. Yet many countries, communities, and even families still don’t keep this in mind or seek to improve essential services. Close to one billion people worldwide live with mental health conditions that affect their physical health, emotional needs, relationships, and livelihoods. That includes adolescents and young adults who are discovering themselves and how they want to move around in the world. In 2020, the number of people living with anxiety and depression increased by 28% in just one year since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Mental health conditions shouldn’t deprive someone of their human rights or exclude them from making decisions about their health. This includes protection from mental health risks, access to acceptable and quality healthcare, and the right to freedom and inclusion within their communities. However, people across the world with mental health conditions continue to experience human rights violations, including discrimination and zero or limited access to mental health care.

Common Global Mental Health Conditions

The most commonly faced mental health conditions across the world include:

• Anxiety disorders: 301 million people, including 58 million children and adolescents, were living with an anxiety disorder in 2019.
• Depression: 280 million people, including 23 million children and adolescents, were living with depression in 2019.
• Bipolar: 40 million people were living with bipolar disorder in 2019.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder: One 2017 study reported that 70% of the world population experienced exposure to traumatic events, and 5.6% of individuals struggle with life-long debilitating symptoms, especially in lower-income and conflict-ridden countries. Another 2020 study reported that about 13 million Americans had PTSD.
• Schizophrenia: 24 million people were living with schizophrenia and had a life expectancy of 10 to 20 years below the general population.
• Eating disorders: 14 million people were living with an eating disorder in 2019, including 3 million people under 18.
• Disruptive behavior and dissocial disorders: 40 million people under 18 were living with a conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder in 2019.
• Neurodevelopmental disorders: In 2019, 84 million people were living with attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), 29 million were living with autism spectrum disorder, and 107 million were living with a developmental intellectual disability.
• Substance use disorder: Yes, substance use disorders are mental health conditions. In 2019, 1.63 million people were living with a substance use disorder.

Hansei Solutions & Mental Health Advocacy

At Hansei Solutions, we earnestly prioritize World Mental Health Day, committing our time to assist clients in enhancing their services and actively supporting our community. This past year, we formed the MHN Coalition of the Willing to help behavioral health treatment centers educate California residents and politicians on their needs.

We also attended several events during the summer where we gave back to the community and formed lasting partnerships with organizations that truly pushed for better mental healthcare. We also participated in our own Miles for Mental Health challenge to support a recovery center for women in Southern California and teamed up with the N.O.W. Matters More Foundation for the Miles for Recovery Challenge. 

Contact Hansei Solutions

Hansei Solutions truly believes in helping mental health and behavioral treatment centers expand and improve their services to help more people across the world. The more we talk about mental health and share personal stories, the more people will feel comfortable expressing their needs, and the more governments and organizations will recognize and address these needs. Call today if you want to know more about Hansei Solutions and how we help behavioral healthcare centers.