World Mental Health Day 2021
05 Oct 2021
Mental health is an important part of your health and well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on people’s mental health over the past 18 months and mental health support services have been significantly disrupted. Mental health conditions are increasing worldwide and remain one of the most neglected areas of public health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health conditions:
- are a major cause of disability
- affect 20% of the world's children and young people, with suicide being the second leading cause of death in 15-29 year olds
- affects 1 in 5 people in post-conflict countries
During the World Health Assembly in May 2021, governments from around the world recognised the need to improve quality mental health services at all levels and backed the WHO’s Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030, which sets out clear actions for WHO and it's Member countries and their governments to:
- promote mental health and well-being for all
- prevent mental health conditions for those at-risk
- achieve universal coverage for mental health services
World Mental Health day is held on 10 October each year. This year, the World Mental Health Day campaign slogan is 'Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality' which aims to:
- showcase the efforts of some countries and how they have been providing mental health care to their populations
- encourage people to highlight positive mental health stories to inspire others
- provide new materials, in easy-to-read formats, on how to take care of your own mental health and how to provide support to others
For further information on this year's campaign and to access the campaign materials, visit the WHO website
For information on travel health advice relating to mental health, see the fitfortravel Mental Health and Travel page.