The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on governments around the world to increase policy and legislation in support of mental health services.

According to the WHO, the number of people living with mental illness now exceeds one billion and this is a warning that mental health challenge is a direct threat to human productivity and global economic prosperity.

The appeal comes with the release of two major reports — World Mental Health Today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024 — released recently.

The reports highlight the evident gaps in access to care, funding and legal protections for those living with mental illness.

They also noted that despite commendable growth of the recognition of mental illness as a public health priority, progress remains much too slow to meet global goals designed to tackle the issue.

Additionally, researchers are signalling that due to mental illness’ high pervasiveness, economies globally are being negatively impacted.

According to the World Mental Health Today report, adults living with mental health conditions may not be able to work or cannot perform effectively, often for extended periods of time.

The report detailed that as a result, 12 billion productive work days are lost every year to depression and anxiety at a cost of US$1 trillion.

The data also revealed that while some progress has been made — such as adopted rights-based approaches, enhanced preparedness for mental health and psychosocial support during health emergencies — systematic transformation is still lagging.

The report showed that fewer countries have adopted, or enforced rights-based mental health legislation, and only 45 per cent of countries passed laws in full compliance with international human rights standards.

Furthermore, fewer than 10 per cent of countries completed a transition to community-based care, which has seen troubling results with suicide remaining one of the leading causes of death among young people.

WHO also noted a trend of stagnation in mental health investment and funding. The report showcased a minimal consideration from governments worldwide with just two per cent of total health budgets dedicated to mental illness — a figure unchanged since 2017.

In addition to this, disparities between countries were stark; with some high-income countries spending up to US$65 per person on mental health, while low-income countries spent as little as four US cents.

The report also revealed that a disproportionate amount of mental health workers were available to those affected with just 13 per 100,000 people, and more extreme shortages in low- and middle-income countries.

Against the findings, WHO is urging governments to raise mental health financing beyond the stagnant global average of two per cent of health budgets. It also called for more countries to adopt and adapt ‘rights-based’ legislation to protect people with mental health conditions.

Furthermore, WHO has called for more investment in the mental health workforce, particularly in low and middle income countries where shortages are most severe.

The request also prioritised a shift towards community, individual-based care, which would reduce reliance on psychiatric institutions.

“Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges,” said WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities, and economies — an investment no country can afford to neglect. Every government and every leader has a responsibility to act with urgency and to ensure that mental health care is treated not as a privilege, but as a basic right for all,” said Dr Ghebreyesus.