BBC World Service looks at ?The Truth About Mental Health? from 31 May

MUMBAI: BBC World Service has announced a new series ?The Truth About Mental Health? which kicks off from 31 May. The series looks at the radically different attitudes and definitions of mental wellbeing around the world. Presenter Claudia Hammond reports from India, Jordan, Norway, the US, Kenya, Japan and the UK and explores innovative new treatments.

With wide-ranging conditions varying from anxiety and depression, through to post-traumatic stress disorder and psychosis, there are an estimated 450 million people world-wide with mental health problems according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). World-wide, one in four people develop mental or behavioural disorders at some stage in life. The WHO predicts that by 2030 mental health treatments are to become the largest burden on global health resources.
 
Presented by psychologist Claudia Hammond ?The Truth About Mental Health? looks at the enormous ?treatment gap? that exists for mental disorders around the world. In many lower- and middle-income countries, three quarters of people with mental health problems receive no treatment at all. Even in wealthier, high-income countries only between a third and a half receive professional help.

From Africa, to Asia, to the Middle East and Europe, Hammond investigates the alternative ways that people experiencing a broad range of mental health problems seek help within the ?treatment gap?, and explores potential strategies for bridging this gulf in mental health care. Throughout the series, Hammond hears personal stories showing how individuals can have hope that treatment and recovery is possible from a range of distressing mental health conditions.

Hammond said, "This has been a fascinating series to make, meeting everyone from young men living in self-imposed exile in their bedrooms in Japan to survivors of the terrorist shootings on Ut?ya Island in Norway, and Syrian children who have fled appalling violence.

"Everyone I?ve met has been brave enough to talk about the difficulties which are the most personal of all - those involving the mind. Listening to their stories has something to tell all of us about how the human mind works. These are issues which affect our audiences all around the world and we?re lucky because the BBC World Service is uniquely placed to be able to cover these stories."