World Mental Health Day 2023

World Mental Health Day 2023 - October 10

Mental health is a universal human right

This year’s event represents a global commitment to raise awareness of mental health and advocate for it as a universal human right. Everyone should have the right to live a life with dignity, equity, equality, and respect, and this includes people with mental health conditions. Yet, in the Region of the Americas, stigma, discrimination, and human rights violations continue to persist.

In many countries of the Region, people with mental health conditions do not have access to quality services, they are subjected to coercive practices, inhumane treatment, and in some cases abuse – even in healthcare settings, where they should be protected.

Countries must promote regulatory and normative initiatives to support mental health as a fundamental human right, while at the same time limiting practices that favor human rights violations. This includes the establishment of mental health laws that respect the principles of international human rights instruments, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Yet, regional estimates show that just over 60% of 39 countries have a stand-alone mental health law, and nearly half of 37 countries either lack a dedicated authority to assess compliance with international human rights instruments, or the one that exists is not functioning.

PAHO remains committed to working alongside countries, providing technical support to develop mental health legislation that complies with international conventions and advocating for the rights of every individual, beyond borders and inequalities.

#WorldMentalHealthDay

Message by Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO Director