Week 3: The Societal Burden of Mental Ill-Health Flashcards
A collaborative effort by the World Health Organization and other institutions to estimate the global morbidity and mortality from various diseases and injuries.
Global Burden of Disease (GBD)
Used by WHO as an index of disability
Disability-adjusted Life Year (DALY)
Are a leading cause of disability across the world - not usually fatal but cause long-term disability.
Mental Disorders
Most disabling and common disorder.
Depression
The total number of cases of a disease or condition present in a population at a given time.
Prevalence
Economic Impact of Mental Health Disorders
Direct costs (treatment and care)
Indirect costs (lost productivity and cost experienced by carers)
Hidden Costs (pain and suffering from the illness)
This refers to the economic loss that occurs when individuals with mental health conditions are unable to participate fully in work, education, or other productive activities.
Lost Productivity
Assigning a numerical value to each disorder to reflect its severity and impact on quality of life.
Weighting disorders
How do we measure the burden of mental disorders?
1) Estimate prevalence
2) Weighting disorders
3) Account for premature mortality
Death occurring before the expected lifespan.
Premature Mortality
Primarily affect the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, nerves).
Examples: Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke
Characteristics: physical symptoms like weakness, numbness, or pain
Neurological Disorders
Primarily affect mental health and behavior.
Examples: Depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia
Characteristics: Emotional, cognitive, or behavioral symptoms
Psychiatric Disorders
A broader term that can encompass both psychiatric and psychological conditions.
Examples: Includes psychiatric disorders but also conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or adjustment disorders
Characteristics: Emotional, cognitive, and behavioral difficulties
Psychological Disorders
A combination of neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Examples: Bipolar disorder (involves both mood swings and brain function), Tourette’s syndrome (involves both tics and neurotransmitter imbalances)
Characteristics: Involve both physical and mental symptoms.
Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Primarily focus on the cognitive impairments that result from brain dysfunction.
These impairments can include:
Memory problems, Attention difficulties, Language problems, Executive function impairments
Examples: Dyslexia, ADHD, Parkinson’s Disease
Neuropsychological Disorders
Ranks the leading causes of disease burden in both high-income and low-income countries.
Global Burden of Disease (GBD)
Prevalent mental and neurological disorders in high-income countries (EU) as reported by GBD
1) Unipolar depressive disorders
2) Alzheimer’s and other dementias
3) Alcohol-use disorders
4) Drug-use disorders
5) Schizophrenia
6) Bipolar affective disorder
Prevalent mental and neurological disorders in low-income countries (EU) as reported by GBD
1) Unipolar depressive disorders
2) Alcohol-use disorders
3) Schizophrenia
4) Bipolar Affective Disorder
5) Epilepsy
6) Alzheimer’s and other dementias
Major disorders in Europe (Wittchen, 2011)
1) Unipolar depression
2) Dementias
3) Schizophrenia
4) Bipolar Disorder
Are the most significant non-communicable diseases (NCD).
Mental Disorders
What was stated by the World Economic Forum report in 2011?
“Economic policy-makers are naturally concerned about economic growth. The evidence presented in this report indicated that it would be illogical and irresponsible to care about economic growth and simultaneously ignore NCDs. Interventions in this area will undeniably be costly. But inaction is likely to be far more costly.”
Focus on developing new treatments, understanding the causes of mental illness, and evaluating the effectiveness of different interventions.
Research Agenda
Focus on implementing evidence-based treatments, promoting the use of technology-assisted interventions, and improving the quality of mental health care.
Practice Agenda
Focus on increasing funding for mental health services, reducing stigma, and improving access to care.
Policy Agenda
These are factors that increase the likelihood of developing a mental health condition.
Examples: Genetics, environment, substance-abuse, medical conditions
Risk Factors
These are factors that can reduce the risk of developing or worsening a mental health condition. Examples: Social support, coping skills, resilience
Protective Factors
Goals of the Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health
- Identify root causes, risk and protective factors
- Advance prevention and implementation of early interventions
- Improve treatments and expand access to care
- Raise awareness of the global burden
- Build human resource capacity
- Transform health-system and policy responses
