Decreasing the burden of mental illness: final report 2007
Abstract
Following an initiative from the Head of the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health, a Project Task Team was appointed to delineate the extent of, and identify the main contributors to, the burden of disease (BoD) in the province. Five disease groups were identified as the largest contributors to the total burden of disease, and five corresponding workgroups were constituted to develop policies for the prevention of these diseases. The Mental Health Workgroup was established as a consortium of multi-sectoral and intergovermental public health and mental health experts, to make recommendations with regard to interventions which might reduce the burden of mental illness in the province, including a focus on prevention of common mental disorders such as: depression, substance abuse, childhood behavioural disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This document provides some information on the prevalence of mental health problems in the Province (only limited information is available), describes determinants of mental health and risk factors for mental health problems, and recommends interventions.
Citation
Corrigall, J.; Ward, C.; Stinson, K.; Struthers, P.; Frantz, J.; Lund, C.; Flisher, A.J.; Joska, J. Decreasing the burden of mental illness: final report 2007. (2007) 238 pp. [Western Cape Burden of Disease Reduction Project Volume 4 of 7]