Covid-19 the Trigger for SDG Solutions in Mental Health
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32437/mhgcj.v4i1.103Keywords:
COVID-19, Mental Health, cultural sensitivity, cost effectiveness, resilience, Sustainable Development GoalsAbstract
Introduction. This paper explores COVID-19 impact on Global attempts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3, specifically Target 3.4.
Purpose. Suggest a new WHO Mental Health Action Plan needs to be refocused to help achieve universal mental health.
Approach. The author discusses the context of COVID-19s impact on Governments inability to progress the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Target 3.4, reviewing this against the WHO Mental Health Action Plan (MHAP) 2013-2020 (WHO 2013). Utilizing relevant publications, progress/lack of progress are discussed, suggestions made as to how, by refocusing the MHAP to one more culturally sensitive and localized, to progress towards universal mental health.
Discussion. Contextualizing the lack of specific Sustainable Development Goals mental health target. The continual use by the WHO of promoting western medical approaches to achieve universal global mental health is explored, while using COVID-19 pandemic as a means of triggering change in how localized, culturally specific non-medical approaches could be championed.
Limitation/Strengths. The paper does not involve an extensive literature search. However, subject matter is timely and relevant. It challenges traditional approaches of how Global Mental Health has been addressed by organizations led by the UN/WHO. It identifies positive ways of progressing global mental health, by utilizing localized and culturally sensitive approaches.
Practical/Social value. The suggestions made are cost effective, given the financial challenges COVID-19 has brought, that is a practical and social value in its own right. Additionally, the practical local and culturally sensitive solutions can be used globally. They could be undertaken on their own or in conjunction with traditional western/medical models. The potential social value could be considerable, should it be the focus of the latest WHO Mental Health Action Plan.
Conclusion. Any new WHO Mental Health Action Plan must ensure non-traditional interventions are central and increasingly used to achieve universal mental health for all
References
Allen-Mills, T & Gregory, A (2020) Coronavirus: did Britain get it wrong in the battle to stop the spread? The Sunday Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-did-britain-get-it-wrong-in-the-battle-to-stop-the-spread-ffjvgq02c [Accessed 26/10/2020]
Caparros-Gonzalez, RA. Ganho-??vila, A. & de la Torre-Luque, A (2020) Editorial. The COVID-19 Pandemic Can Impact Perinatal Mental Health and the Health of the Offspring. Behavioral Science. 10(162) https://www.doi:10.3390/bs10110162 [Accessed 24/02/2021]
Chibanda, D & London, E (2019) The journey of making mental health a development priority. https://oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/the-journey-of-making-mental -health-a-development-priority/ [Accessed 18/06/2019].
Crossley, M. Barrett, A. Brown, B. Coope, J. Raghaven, R. (2019) Systematic review of applied theatre practice in the Indian context of mental health, resilience and well-being. Applied Theatre Research, 7 (2), pp. 211-232 https://doi.org/10.1386/atr_00017_1 [Accessed 22/11/2020]
Doukani, A., Van Dalen, R., Valev, H., Njenga, A., Sera, F. & Chibanda, D. (2021). A community health volunteer delivered problem-solving therapy mobile application based on the Friendship Bench ???Inuka Coaching??™ in Kenya: A pilot cohort study. Global Mental Health. 8, E9. https://www.doi:10.1017/gmh.2021.3 [Accessed 10/-3/201]
Duan, L., Shao, X., Wang, Y., Huang, Y., Miao, J., Yang, X., & Zhu, G. (2020). An investigation of mental health status of children and adolescents in china during the outbreak of COVID-19. Journal of Affective Disorders. 275, pp112??“118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.06.029 [Accessed 08/03/2020]
Garc?a-Fern??ndez, L., Romero-Ferreiro, V., L??pez-Rold??n, PD., Padilla, S. & Rodriguez-Jimenez, R. (2020) Mental Health in Elderly Spanish People in Times of COVID-19 Outbreak. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 28(10) pp1040-1045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2020.06.027 [Accessed 08/03/2021]
Girdhar R, Srivastava V, Sethi S. (2020) Managing mental health issues among elderly during COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Geriatric Care and Research, 7(1) pp32-35
Iheanacho T, Nduanya UC, Slinkard S, Ogidi AG, Patel D, Itanyi IU, Naeem F, Spiegelman D, Ezeanolue EE (2021). Utilizing a church-based platform for mental health interventions: exploring the role of the clergy and the treatment preference of women with depression. Global Mental Health 8, e5, 1??“8. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2021.4 [Accessed 10/03/2021]
Jakovljevic, M. (2018) Empathy, Sense of Coherence and Resilience: Bridging Personal, Public and Global Mental Health and Conceptual Synthesis. Psychiatria Danubina 30(4) pp 380-384 https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2018.380
Raghavan, R., Coope, J., Jamwal, S. & Pendse, T. (2020) Reflections on the use of mental health resilience concepts in migration and global mental health. International Journal of Mental Health. 48:4, 299-308, https://www.doi:10.1080/00207411.2019.1708646 [Accessed 02/03/2021]
Rathod, S, Gega, L, Degnan, A, Pikard, J, Khan, T, Husain, N, Munshi, T, & Naeem, F (2018). The current status of culturally adapted mental health interventions: a practice-focused review of meta-analyses. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 14, 165??“178. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S138430 [Accessed 10/03/2021]
Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., Woelm, F. (2020). The Sustainable Development Goals and COVID-19. Sustainable Development Report 2020. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
SDG (2020) Sustainable Development Report https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/ [Accessed 02/03/2021]
Siste K, Hanafi E, Sen LT, Christian H, Adrian, Siswidiani LP, Limawan AP, Murtani BJ and Suwartono C (2020) The Impact of Physical Distancing and Associated Factors Towards Internet Addiction Among Adults in Indonesia During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Web-Based Study. Frontiers in Psychiatry 11:580977. https://www.doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.580977 [Accessed 24/02/2021]
UN (2021) https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ [Accessed 04/03/2021]
WHO (2019) https://www.who.int/mental_health/suicide-prevention/SDGs/en/ [Accessed 02/03/2021]
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2021 Paul Illingworth
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
E-mail us: viktor.vus@mhgcj.org 