Giving Compass' Take:

• The author explains five considerations about mental health and mental illness on a global scale. 

• What are philanthropists doing to address treatment for mental health illness in the broader context of global health? 

• Mental health education is coming to more states across America. Click here to read more. 

When the famed chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain died by suicide earlier this year, there was an outpouring of sympathy for the beloved globetrotter and for those living with mental health problems more broadly.

But most suicides don’t spur such society-wide reckonings. Instead, they often happen quietly, pass by almost invisibly, and are often spoken of with shame, if spoken of at all.

This shame and silence magnifies the problem, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Every year, more than 800,000 people die by suicide, meaning more people die from suicide than from the violence of others.

The best way to end stigma and deal with the crisis is by learning about mental illness and its pervasive grip on the world. Here are five crucial things you should know.

  1. Gaps in Funding and Access: Globally, mental health receives less than 1% of global aid, according to the WHO.
  2. Women & Girls: Women are more likely to live with depressive disorders than men around the world, and they’re also more likely to face bias when seeking medical help, which then reinforces stigmas, the WHO found.
  3. Environment: Environmental factors play a crucial role in shaping mental health. This is especially true as climate change accelerates around the world, causing more extreme droughts, heat waves, storms, and more.
  4. Food & Hunger: Eating a quality diet is not just important for physical health — it can also affect mental health. Globally, more than 795 million people suffer from food insecurity, and this has been linked to higher rates of mental illness.
  5. Education: Because of reigning stigmas around the world, children are often unable to receive proper treatment for mental illnesses as they’re growing up.

Read the full article about mental health by Joe McCarthy at Global Citizen.