India and China account for a third of global mental health burden
19-May-16, OnMedica
A third of the global burden of disease for mental, neurological and substance use disorders occurs in India and China – more than in all high-income countries combined. And yet most people with mental disorders in these countries do not received needed treatment.
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Three new papers, published today in The Lancet and The Lancet Psychiatry, mark the launch of the China-India Mental Health Alliance, a long-term project bringing together experts from China and India to look at the current status of mental health and mental health services in both countries.
The authors shed light on the vast mental health treatment gap in China and India, and say that community engagement, increased support for community health workers and collaboration with traditional and alternative medicine practitioners are key to providing more accessible, affordable, and acceptable mental health care in India and China.