Almost a third of the South African population will present with a mental disorder such as depression, substance abuse, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia during their lifetime, writes Professor Christine Lochner
. This theme is particularly relevant for a country like South Africa that has also been described as one of the most ‘unequal’ societies in the world. In this article, I would like to unravel aspects of this complex phenomenon and how it plays out within our local mental health context.How wonderful would life be if we were all born equal? Alas, inequality starts very early on.
This is exemplified by the fact that fewer than 1 out of 10 individuals with a mental illness will receive the care that they need, despite the fact that many mental health problems can be treated at clinics and hospitals. Although steps have been taken towards strengthening mental health care in the last 20 years, including reforming the Mental Health Care Act 2002 and developing a National Mental Health Policy Framework and Strategic Plan 2013-2020, the Department of Health spends only 5% of the total health budget on mental health services, leaving mental health under-funded and under-resourced.
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