Disability

Adolescents are generally perceived as a healthy age group, and yet 20% of them, in any given year, experience a mental health problem, most commonly depression or anxiety. In many settings, suicide is among the leading causes of death among young people

Mental well-being is fundamental to good quality of life. Happy and confident adolescents are most likely to grow into happy and confident adults, who in turn contribute to the health and well-being of nations (2). Emotional health and well-being among young people have implications for self-esteem, behaviour, attendance at school, educational achievement, social cohesion and future health and life chances

Overview

The WHO Mental Health Atlas 2011 represents the latest estimate of global mental health resources available to prevent and treat mental disorders and help protect the human rights of people living with these conditions.

It presents data from 184 WHO Member States, covering 98% of the world’s population. Facts and figures presented in Atlas indicate that resources for mental health remain inadequate.

The distribution of resources across regions and income groups is substantially uneven and in many countries resources are extremely scarce. Results from Atlas reinforce the urgent need to scale up resources and care for mental health within countries.

It is well known that disabled people are among the most marginalised and oppressed groups within society. Their exclusion has been reinforced by discriminatory attitudes and practices that promote segregation and prejudice. The World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons was promoted by the United Nations in 1982, and was later followed by the Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (UN 1993). Internationally, these were means by which to highlight the need for prevention of disability, rehabilitation and equalisation of opportunities for disabled people. Included in rehabilitation are measures to compensate for loss or limitation of function - one of these being through technical appliances. It is also recognised that a precondition to the equalisation of opportunities is the provision of support services - including assistive devices - to disabled people, because they enable the individuals participation on equal terms.

Contrary to popular belief, disability is not about heroic individuals overcoming tragic circumstances. Nor is it about dependency of people with impairments on a few open-minded, charitable individuals or institutions. These images are often reinforced through the media, which perpetuates stereotypical images of disabled people. Disability is about the struggle of those who are excluded and sidelined to challenge the dominant hegemony of society.