“It is imperative to create a society that recognizes the importance of mental health and physical health.“Queen Mathilde said Tuesday during an event organized on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“Citizens need to feel good mentally to live a full life. However, mental health is still not considered a political priority worldwide.“said the Queen of the Belgians.”At the same time, people with psychological disorders continue to face stigma and discrimination.“
The Queen spoke at a roundtable – organized by Belgium and Bhutan, as well as the World Health Organization, Unicef and the NGO United for Global Mental Health – with the aim of encouraging action and investment in the field of mental health, particularly in poor countries facing large numbers of refugees.
One in eight people in the world (according to WHO) and one in seven adolescents aged 10 to 19 (according to UNICEF) live with a mental disorder. However, the global median of public spending on mental health does not reach 2%.
The Belgian Minister of Development Cooperation, Caroline Gennez (Vooruit), also recalled the importance of mental health when caring for victims of conflicts or disasters. When conflict breaks out, one in five people experience immediate anxiety, while one in eight falls into longer-term bouts of depression.
