The New Straits Times, April 15, 2001
By Professor Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
RECENTLY, mobile internet access has been said to be harmful to mental health. This was suggested by a German researcher during one of the world's largest gathering of the information technology and communication industries in Hannover last month (NST, March 25).
Economist Uwe Schneidewind of the University of Oldenburg in Germany reportedly warned that checking e-mail or surfing the Web via cellphone and other devices could be hazardous to mental health.
If this is true, then we have one more worry to add to the growing problem of mental health. This is especially so in Asia where the number of mobile Internet users is said to be steadily growing and, by implication, problems related to mental health too.
In fact, according to an expert view, "The most unique IT trend in Asia vis a vis other parts of the world is the fact that Asia has been adopting wireless technology so readily and rapidly." (FEER, March 15).
Whatever the case, no country and no person is considered immune to mental disorders. The impact in psychological, social and economic terms is high.
In May 2000, the World Health Organisation (WHO) cautioned that mental disorders were becoming more common. It is estimated that some 400 million people are suffering from mental or neurological or psychological problems.
An international psychiatric study recently indicated that the problem often begins in the teenage years, afflicting many sufferers for the rest of their lives (Poison Control, Oct 27, 2000).
More surprisingly, almost half of those who are ill do not seek help, most are not treated at all, and often the treatment is inadequate -- even though effective therapies exist, the study shows.
In some cases the patients are heavily stigmatised, thus adding further barriers to treatment. All predictions are that the future will bring a dramatic increase in mental health problems, dubbed as "a crisis of the 21st century".
It is, therefore, timely that this year's World Health Day, celebrated on April 7, is devoted to mental health. After all, for the last 10 years, the principles for the protection of persons with mental illness and for the improvement of mental health care have been enshrined in the United Nations Resolution 46/119 (December 17, 1991).
The UN Resolution also states: "Every person with a mental illness shall have the right to live and work, to the extent possible, in the community".
In addition, every person "have the right to be treated and cared for, as far as possible, in the community in which he or she lives". And the standard of care shall be "appropriate to his or her health needs" the same as other ill persons.
More importantly, "every patient shall be protected from harm, including unjustified medication, abuse by other patients, staff or others or other acts causing mental distress or physical discomfort".
In order to achieve this, efforts must also be directed to dismantling common myths. Some of the more popular ones are; only adults are affected; weakness in character is the cause; the illness is imaginary, and often the impact is underestimated.
As such, 2001 World Health Day is pertinent as part of a systematic process to raise awareness and advocacy. The theme is "Mental Health: Stop exclusion -- Dare to care".
It incorporates two universal messages, namely, all societies need to focus on reducing the treatment gap for mental health disorders; and that the pervasive effects of social exclusion resulting from stigma and discrimination and the out-dated nature of many mental institutions prevents people from seeking treatment.
The primary objective is to stimulate debate on how to improve mental health around the world.
WHO claimed that societies still raise barriers to care and the reintegration of people with mental disorders, despite the fact that solutions to treat many disorders are available, and some cases permit persons with mental/brain disorders to be functioning members of the community.
Ailments such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, alcohol dependence, epilepsy and mental retardation are representative of the worldwide gap between available means of intervention and their application.
In summary, as mentioned by Dr Gro Brundtland, the director-general of WHO, "mental health depends on some measure of social justice, and mental illness given its scale, must be treated effectively at primary level where possible".
According to Dr Brundtland, some of the reasons why effective treatments are not given is because of "the low priority given to mental health".
Mental patients have suffered long enough and they now deserve our full attention. Given the current madness in many situations -- ranging from mad cow to mad com, from mad Dow to mad sow -- read: health, technology, economics and environment respectively, we need to take sufficient precautions in attempting to keep our sanity intact.
Recommended website: http://www.who.int/mentalhealth/topics.html
