By Toluse Dove Francis
On October 10, 2025, World Mental Health Day arrives under the urgent theme “Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies.” As the world grapples with escalating crises – from climate-driven disasters to conflicts displacing millions – the toll on mental well-being has never been clearer. Yet, access to care remains a distant hope for too many. This day demands more than awareness; it calls for a global commitment to dismantle barriers and deliver equitable mental health support when it matters most.
Mental health conditions affect over one billion people worldwide, with anxiety and depression leading the charge. The World Health Organization reports 727,000 suicides in 2021, a grim marker of unmet needs, while the global economy loses a trillion dollars annually to untreated mental illness. Catastrophes amplify this crisis: in 2024, 123 million people were forcibly displaced, each facing trauma, loss, and uncertainty. Despite this, mental health receives just 2% of global health budgets, a figure unchanged since 2017, leaving systems unprepared for surging demand.
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Emergencies expose the fragility of mental health infrastructure. Floods, wildfires, and conflicts do not just destroy homes; they shatter resilience, spiking rates of post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and despair. Youth are particularly vulnerable – suicide remains a leading cause of death globally for those aged 15-29. Yet, stigma persists, silencing those who need help most, while underfunded services struggle to reach the displaced, the marginalized, and the isolated.
The solutions are within reach. The WHO’s “Doing What Matters in Times of Stress” guide offers practical tools for coping in crises, but it’s not enough. Governments must prioritize mental health in disaster response, embedding psychosocial support into humanitarian aid. Community-led initiatives, like peer networks and telehealth, can bridge gaps where specialists are scarce. Workplaces, too, must step up, offering stress management programs to support employees facing personal and collective crises.
This World Mental Health Day, let’s move beyond platitudes. Policymakers must allocate resources to match the scale of need – starting with that elusive 2% of health budgets. Communities must foster open dialogue to break stigma, ensuring no one suffers in silence. As the UN prepares for its High-Level Meeting on noncommunicable diseases, global leaders must unite to make mental health a cornerstone of resilience.
In the eye of any storm, mental health is not a luxury; it’s a lifeline. By investing in access today, we build a future where no one is left to face catastrophe alone. Let 2025 be the year we turn commitment into action – for every mind, in every crisis, everywhere.
