Next: Harnessing information and communications technology (ICT) to address mental health challenges affecting 700 million people today

Making Mental Health a Global Priority (The Dana Foundation): “Who hasn’t felt a sense of loss or detachment from our families, friends, and regular routines, or experienced nervousness and anxiety about changes in our personal and professional lives? For some, fear and worry constantly distract, confuse, and agitate. For others, frequent and severe bouts of depression are a debilitating daily burden that interferes with family, career, and social responsibilities. All too often, such problems lead to alcohol or drug abuse, self-destructive behavior, or even suicide…The social costs of mental- and substance-use disorders, including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and drug and alcohol abuse, are enormous. Studies estimate that at least 10 percent of the world’s population is affected, including 20 percent of children and adolescents. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that mental disorders account for 30 percent of non-fatal disease burden worldwide and 10 percent of overall disease burden, including death and disability… Information and communications technology (ICT) can be a useful instrument for global mental health. It offers alternative modes of mental health care delivery when resources are scarce, and new ways to address long-standing obstacles that hinder access to care, such as transportation barriers, stigma associated with visiting mental health clinics, clinician shortages, and high costs. These platforms, especially in mobile formats, can...
Source: SharpBrains - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Health & Wellness abuse anxiety depression diagnosis healthcare Information and communications technology mental-disorders Mental-Health mobile monitoring screening treatment World Health Organization W Source Type: blogs