Happy #WorldMentalHealthDay!

Happy #WorldMentalHealthDay! — Everyone deserves the right to health, which of course includes mental health. But why are many from marginalized communities deprived of access to quality mental health care?

📌 #WorldMentalHealthDay falls on October 10 of every year. It is a day dedicated to raising awareness on the importance of mental health for everyone at every corner of the world. This year, World Mental Health Day 2022 campaign is championing the theme “Make mental health & well-being for all a global priority.” The goal is to ensure that mental health is treated with the same level of significance as physical health.

🔈 Although no one is immuned from mental health problems, which can be caused by a variety of environments, from families, schools, to workplaces, it’s mostly marginalized groups who lack education on mental health, as well as the opportunities to receive proper care. Barriers include expensive fees, inadequate number or even absence of mental health professionals near their communities, or stigma around mental health.

💡 Beyond unequal opportunities to recover, we cannot deny that gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, class, and disabilities all play a role in exacerbating mental health issues. Studies after studies have shown that those facing discrimination, prejudice, and intersectional oppressions suffer from mental illnesses at disproportionate rates. Professionals' ignorance and insensitivity to these factors could also turn marginalized groups away from the care they need.

🔍 There is a lot to be done before we reach equal access for mental health care. If we do not address these disparities, women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, or LGBTQ+ community will continue to experience obstacles in carrying on with everyday activities. For many, their lives are also at risk.

#WeAreManusyan Equal Human Beings

✏️ On #World Mental Health Day, Manushya Foundation emphasizes the necessity of mental health care that is created truly for everyone. Seeking care for mental health should be normalized and encouraged. We also demand that the government make mental health a priority and ensure widely available services and universal health coverage for mental health, with marginalized communities at the center. Mental health care must be accessible, and stigma must end. Mental health care is a human right!

If you are struggling mentally, please call the free mental health hotline 1323 (available 24/7), or seek online consultation via Facebook: Mental Health Hotline 1323. Remember that you are valuable and you are not alone.