Rural Mental Health
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About
A large proportion of people live in rural areas of the world especially in the low- to middle-income countries. Urban and rural areas differ in epidemiological rates of mental morbidity. Rural populations have unique environmental profile and lifestyle choices about occupation, social norms, beliefs about health, and expressions of illness and help-seeking behaviour.
The services for mental disorders of rural population remain poor even in high-income countries. The treatment gap for mental illness is about 80% in low-income countries and perhaps even worse for rural people. The reasons of treatment gap are complex. Low investment in mental health leads to limited mental health resources available to the country’s health service. In low- to middle-income countries, these are concentrated in the cities, depriving rural communities of any specialist mental health services. Stigma, discrimination, poor literacy, and specific cultural belief toward mental illness restrict rural people to accept and access appropriate help.
Section Officers
Chair:

Satish Malik
Address: Sir Gangaram Hospital and Gangaram Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GRIPMER),
C-111, 2nd Floor, New Rajender Nagar,
New Delhi 110060, India
Fax:+91 9810070878
E-mail: prof.scmalik@gmail.com
Co-Chair:

Vimal Sharma
Professor of Global Mental Health Research
Division of Population Health, School of Health Sciences, FBMH, University of Manchester
Consultant Cheshire and Wirral P NHS Trust
Phone:+44 151 488 8381
E-mail: vimal.sharma@manchester.ac.uk
Secretary:
Paola Tejada
MD Psychiatrist MsC PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Universidad El Bosque
Phone: +51 3102216085
Email: tejadapaola@unbosque.edu.co

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