Every dollar invested in enhancing care for depression and anxiety yields a $4 return in improved health and labor output, according to the World Health Organization.
This enhanced care is as simple as talk therapy, antidepressants or a combination of the two, according to WHO.
Enhancing care for mental health is critical because depression is now the leading cause of illness and disability globally, according to WHO. Now 300 million people live with depression, up 15 percent from 2005 to 2015.
"These new figures are a wake-up call for all countries to re-think their approaches to mental health and to treat it with the urgency that it deserves," WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan, MD, said in a statement.
Part of the issue, according to WHO, is the stigma surrounding mental health issues and the lack of support for those with mental disorders. To help break down this stigma, WHO is launching a campaign called "Depression: let's talk." The aim of the initiative is to get people talking about mental health issues and moving toward treatment.
Read more about the initiative here.
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