Mental Health the invisible problem in international development

Mental Health is the shadow lurking in the corner which nobody wants to talk about in international development. The World Health Organisation estimates that mental and neurological disorders are the leading cause of ill health and disability globally, but there is a severe lack of interest from governments and NGOs.

Below are some images which highlight the state of mental health in the developing world. Due to social stigma, lack of resources and funding for mental health services people are often chained or locked up.

Mental health is not considered a disease by people in Bangladesh. These women are among the estimated 14.5 million adults in Bangladesh receiving limited mental health care.
 Sourced from  The Guardian http://tinyurl.com/qxhgthx, photography by Allison Joyce

Najeebullah has scizophenia and drug induced psychosis.After becoming violent and stabbing one of his family, he has now been chained up in a hospital in Kabul  Sourced from  The Guardian http://tinyurl.com/z5mm459, photography by Magda Rakita

Anne has been locked up for ten years without a window, according to her father she doesn't like to eat much. She used to enjoy running but now she cannot stand.
Sourced from Bored Panda http://tinyurl.com/create.php, photography by Andrea Star Reese

According to a recent study done by The Lancet 173 million Chinese people suffer from mental health problems. Only 158 million of those have never received any professional help. Sourced from  The Guardian http://tinyurl.com/ld5er82, photograph China/photos: Getty images

Due to a lack of understanding and social stigma locking people up is often common practice in Indonesia.

Sourced from Bored Panda http://tinyurl.com/create.php, photography by Andrea Star Reese

After Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines the true nature of how people are dealt with mental health disorders was revealed. Many people were locked up and left to die after the typhoon hit in 2013. 
Sourced from  The Guardian http://tinyurl.com/ld5er82, clip taken from a video directed by Simon Rawles