According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 'Globally, one person attempts suicide every 26 seconds and one person dies from suicide every 40 seconds.' Each suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and countries, with long-lasting effects on the people left behind. Worldwide, over 1.9 billion people battle with mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.
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Mental health issues globally are at an all-time high. The Ipsos World Mental Health Survey, which spanned three years and included 23 000 participants across 31 countries, shows South Africans are not coping mentally, ranking highest in mental disorders. Over 70% of South Africans have faced stress levels that make it difficult to cope with life's demands and more than half have reported feeling so stressed over the last year, that they couldn't even work. In fact, worldwide mental health is a key driver of absenteeism and is set to cost the world $16 trillion by 2030, it also costs millions of lives annually.
The study shows key contributors to our high stress levels include poverty, unemployment, social and political unrest, abuse and trauma stemming from exposure to violence. Dr Themba Hadebe, Clinical Executive of Bonitas Medical Fund, talks about how medical schemes need to be innovative and supportive in terms of recognising and treating mental health conditions.
Mental health education and awareness
The Mental Health Programme (MHP) from Bonitas, part of its Care initiatives, includes depression as a chronic condition. Depression is ranked 5th in the top...
