The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that neurological and mental disorders are the leading cause of ill health and disability globally, but there is a lack of interest from governments and NGOs (non-governmental organisations). One reason behind this apparent indifference is the market-driven nature of aid. At NGO level, allocation of funds is strongly correlated with a project’s marketability to the general public.

Research has shown people will give about twice as much if they can empathise with an individualised picture rather than being presented with stark statistics of need. With mental health, it is much more difficult to generate empathy: there are no externally apparent symptoms to create a good snapshot image, and it is difficult to understand what living with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder would be like. As a result, mental health charities struggle to raise funds.

The WHO states that we are ‘facing a global human rights emergency in mental health’. Chris Underhill from BasicNeeds says that mental health is not just a medical concern but ‘part of a larger development related problem’. Mental illness adversely affects people’s ability to work, creates a potential carer burden on families and can lead to greater poverty. Therefore, it has a significant economic impact on developing countries. Despite this, half of all countries in the world have one psychiatrist per 100,000, and a third no mental health programmes at all.

The Guardian