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Global Situation
Mental and behavioural disorders
are estimated to account for 13% of the global burden of disease. Mental
disorders contribute to a significant proportion of disability-adjusted life
years and years lived with disability. Even though mental disorders can be
managed effectively with medication and psychosocial interventions, only a
small proportion of patients with mental disorders receive even the most
basic treatment that help them avoid chronic disability and premature death.
Mental health is also strongly correlated to social determinants such as
poverty and other poor health outcomes.
Mental Health Definition
Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which
every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal
stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a
contribution to her or his community.
Country Situation
Sri
Lanka is experiencing demographic, social,
and epidemiological transitions; non-communicable diseases and mental health
are emerging more strongly as public health problems. Substance and alcohol
abuse have increased in magnitude over the past two decades. Sri Lanka has
one of the world’s highest suicide rates (ranked 8th).
Initially most resources for mental health care were
confined to Western province, with three mental hospitals in the surroundings
of Colombo.
Together with the strategy of scaling-down the capacity of the centralized
mental health institutions, decentralized district-based community mental
health services have been initiated after the Tsunami, from 2005 onwards.
Focus
WHO supports the Government of Sri Lanka to develop
effective and humane decentralized mental health services in line with the
National Mental Health Policy of Sri Lanka, which was developed through WHO
support and adopted by parliament in 2005. Hereby
WHO supports the following priority areas of activities in line with WHO CCS
and Mental Health Policy, leading to a cost-effective and comprehensive
mental health system, which ensures coverage at National level.
1. Supports the MoH in
the provision of acute inpatient care through general hospitals
2. Supports the establishment of outreach clinics
in each MOH division
3. Supports the development of a community-based
workforce identifying and following up persons with severe mental disorders
and providing basic care to persons with mild and moderate mental disorders
4. Supports the establishment of Intermediate
care facility with basic rehabilitation materials and training
5. Supports the MoH and
Sri Lanka college of Psychiatrists for HRD targeting mental
health personnel to learn new intervention and management techniques from
other countries
6. Supports the MoH in
the establishment of consumer and carers society
7. Supports the MoH in
the development of mental health information system
8. Supports the NIMH in the development of
“independent Living Home” for clients
9. Supports the MoH and
College of Psychiatrists in the implementation of
successful emergency mental health services
10.
Support initiatives on stigma mitigation
concerning the mental disorders to improve access to mental health services
11.
Support the implementation of policies and programmes for prevention of harm from alcohol and
substance use
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