On Wednesday The Lancet published new research that shows India and China account for one-third of global mental illness.

The research, led by professor Vikram Patel of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, shows China and India have higher rates of mental illness and substance abuse than all high-income countries combined. According to Patel, this is a result of unbalanced treatment methods and poor access to mental health services.

The report is the first in a series of publications to be released as part of the new China-India Mental Health Alliance, cooperatively run by the Shanghai Mental Health Center and the Public Health Foundation of India. The alliance aims to increase mental health awareness in these countries, and improve the availability of mental health treatment. While both countries have progressive mental health policies, less than 1% of China and India’s national healthcare budget currently goes towards funding mental health services.

The results of the research also show that only 6% of Chinese people with mental health concerns will seek help in their life, and the rate of Indians with neurological disorders is expected to increase by a quarter by 2025.

In conducting the research, the China-India Mental Health Alliance also hopes to remove the stigma around mental health in rural areas and encourage people to seek treatment. The details of the report outline that cultural practitioners such as yogis in India could be retrained to accommodate the rise in mental health, however this could take a number of decades to enact.

Source: wikinews.org