50% of local mental health issues down to depression

(CNS): In the Cayman Islands, depression accounts for 50 per cent of mental illnesses the health minister revealed in his message to mark World Mental Health Day on Wednesday, 10.October. Cayman joins the World Health Organization (WHO) in observing the 20th anniversary to raise public awareness about mental health issues with the focus on depression. “There is no health without mental health,” Mark Scotland said. “It is the foundation for an individual’s well-being, and the promotion of good mental health helps people to maintain healthy lifestyles,” he added as he pointed to the task force established by his ministry to address the problems here in Cayman regarding the treatment of sufferers.

This year, the theme is Depression: A Global Crisis. Depression affects more than 350 million people of all ages in all communities and is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. Although there are known effective treatments for depression, access to treatment is a problem in most countries, and in some countries fewer than 10 percent of those who need it receive such treatment.

See minister’s full message below