'1 in 10 people worldwide have a mental disorder' - WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised that rich and poor countries alike must invest more in mental health care, especially during economic crises when rates of depression and suicide tend to rise.

The body added that 1 in 10 people worldwide has a mental health disorder but only 1% of the global health workforce is treating such illnesses, which are still widely stigmatized.

According to Dr. Shekhar Saxena, Director of WHO's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, "the resources devoted to mental health, financial as well as human resources, remain extremely small all over the world"

Saxena also pointed out that in general, "countries that are facing serious socio-economic challenges are at a higher risk of having mental health problems within their communities,"

Said Saxena:

"The rate of depression and the rate of suicide actually do increase significantly for countries that are suffering from economic downturn. These are precious loss of life which a country should protect by maintaining the mental health care that is due to these people during these times of stress."

According to WHO's 2014 Mental Health Atlas, nearly half of the world's population lives in a country where there is less than one psychiatrist per 100,000 people, while in high-income countries the rate is one per 2,000.

"The prevalence of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorders and drug abuse vary significantly more between different societies and there are some cultural factors for that," Saxena added.