Controversial title that’s bound to stir up some mixed opinions I know.. I know Mental Health is not more serious than cancer but they are just as serious as each other. Suicide rates are through the roof and yet it doesn’t get much attention at all. we all know that suicide happens worldwide due to mental illness and yet next to no one is educated about it.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that each year approximately one million people die from suicide, which represents a global mortality rate of 16 people per 100,000 or one death every 40 seconds. In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide and is in the top three of the leading causes of death for males and females aged 15 to 44 years old.
90% of all suicide deaths are caused by depression, illegal and legal substance abuse and rates amongst teens to young adults have been rising so rapidly that they are now the group with the highest risk in a third of all countries. with 55% being people aged 15 to 44 and 45% being people ages 45 and over. A study showed that the leading causes of suicide are; unemployment, sexual orientation, difficulties with identity and religion.
Nearly 30% of suicide deaths worldwide occur in India and China and yet it’s not heard of, people are not educated enough on mental health and it continues to be pushed to one side and not treated half as serious as it should be. There has been a huge decline of 12% in mental health nurses between 2010 to 2017 and psychiatric beds being reduced by 4% between 2014 to 2017.
The mental health sector is rabidly failing and causing more challenges resulting in far to much use of physical restraint and isolation, detentions under the mental health act have risen a massive 26% between 2012 to 2016!
The huge decline in mental health nurses are causing care facilities to take on less applicable staff especially in private care facilities. less caring and attentive staff are being employed which is resulting in lack of care for patients. There are some reports of patients basically being striped of the dignity and treated like they are lesser people because they have a severe illness! and this is where the cancer part comes in, I am in no way, shape or form saying that mental illnesses are more important than cancerous illnesses but no one would treat a patient with cancer the way that some patients with a mental illness get treated.
Because Cancer is a multi-million pound industry there are adverts and so much education out there about it, mental health on the other hand.. you don’t see any advertising to help suicidal patients. Its fucking horrific and should be treat with the seriousness as all major illnesses!
If you are suffering from a mental illness and need help, please visit the website below and find your suicide prevention hotline.
http://ibpf.org/resource/list-international-suicide-hotlines
Love, Demi-Leigh x
All Things Demi-Leigh 