October 10: World Mental Health Day

October 10, 2022

World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 to raise global awareness about mental health problems across the world.

Key facts

World Mental Health Day is observed every year to increase international awareness about the mental health and related issues.
The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) sets unique theme for this day every year.
The theme for this year is “Make mental health and well-being for all a global priority”.
It aims to raise general awareness about mental well-being by providing opportunities for people suffering from mental health issues to collectively to voice the requirements to make mental health and well-being a global priority for all.
It also gives them the opportunity to collectively recognize the progress in the field of mental health.

Background

The World Mental Health Day has been observed since 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health. Until the year 1994, there were no specific themes for this day. It only sought to educate the general public about mental health and related issues. In 1994, a theme was set for this day for the first time based on the suggestion for the former Secretary General Eugene Brody. The theme for that year was “Improving the Quality of Mental Health Services throughout the World”.

Significance

Prior to the pandemic’s breakout, it was estimated that one in eight people across the world were suffering from mental health disorder. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated social and economic crisis have exacerbated this situation exponentially. It has caused a global health crisis for mental health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cases on anxiety and depression has spiked to more than 25 per cent during the first year of the pandemic. During the same period, mental healthcare services were severely disrupted and the treatment gap for mental health disorders were widened. World Mental Health Day seeks to strengthen public awareness about these issues and strengthen the mental health services.