Why develop Nursing Resources for Mental Health?
Mental health is crucial to the well-being of individuals, societies and countries. Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders. It involves a state of well-being whereby individuals recognize their abilities, are able to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and contribute to the community. Mental health problems are common: 450 million people suffer from a mental or behavioural problem and nearly one million people commit suicide every year. Depression, alcohol use disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are among the ten leading causes of disability worldwide. Treatment is not available to most people. Despite the existence of effective treatments, the overwhelming majority of people with a mental disorder do not have access to effective treatments. Nurses are important providers of treatment and care. In most countries, nurses are the largest group of professionals providing mental health care in both primary and specialist health services. H
