World Mental Health Day 2023

Mental health is a universal human right 

World Mental Health Day 2023 is an opportunity for people and communities to unite behind the theme “Mental health is a universal human right” to improve knowledge, raise awareness and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health as a universal human right. 

Mental health is critically important for everyone, everywhere, and goes beyond the mere absence of a mental health condition. It is integral to well-being, enabling people to realize their full potential, show resilience amidst adversity, be productive across the various settings of daily life, form meaningful relationships and contribute to their communities. 

Everyone, whoever and wherever they are, has a right to the highest attainable standard of mental health. This includes the right to be protected from mental health risks, the right to available, accessible, acceptable, and good quality care, and the right to liberty, independence and inclusion in the community. 

Good mental health is vital to our overall health and well-being. Yet, more than 215 million people are living with a mental health condition in the Western Pacific. Suicide continues to be a leading cause of death among young people, and for every death, there are many more suicide attempts. At the same time, demographic shifts in some countries are increasing the proportion of older people contributing to the growing prevalence of dementia and other mental health conditions related to ageing.   

Having a mental health condition should never be a reason to deprive a person of their human rights or to exclude them from decisions about their own health. Yet all over the world, people with mental health conditions continue to experience a wide range of human rights violations. Many are excluded from community life and discriminated against, while many more cannot access the mental health care they need or can only access care that violates their human rights. 

WHO continues to work with countries and partners to ensure mental health is valued, promoted, and protected, and that urgent action is taken so that everyone can exercise their human rights and access the quality mental health care they need. Under the Regional Framework for the Future of Mental Health in the Western Pacific, WHO, countries and partners are working to promote the highest level of mental health for all people in the Region. 

Join the World Mental Health Day 2023 campaign to learn more about your basic right to mental health as well as how to protect the rights of others.