People with mental disorders untreated

This largely invisible health burden means millions of South Africans are not performing at their best the department's head of non-communicable disease, Melvyn Freeman, said.

"The very sickest among mentally ill patients, such as those with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, are much more likely to be diagnosed and treated than people with common disorders such as depression and anxiety," he said.

"For the majority of people (with mental health problems) there is just no care," Freeman added.

Briefing members of Parliament's portfolio committee on health, Freeman said about 16.5% of the adult population could be expected to have a mental health disorder in any given year, according to the 2002 national stress and health survey. The prevalence of severe mental illness was between 1% and 2%, while that of common disorders was about 14%. This suggests that about 5m people are grappling with mental health disorders without appropriate intervention.

Depression and anxiety

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group founder Zane Wilson said: "From the work we do at grassroots level with community outreach, I'd agree with these figures.

"There are huge numbers of people who are not getting care and are falling through the gaps. Someone with bipolar disorder who is having a manic episode and throwing stones from the roof of their house, or a schizophrenic talking to God, will be noticed by someone, who will get them help. But someone who is depressed and is not bothering to get dressed or go out is ignored.

"Mental health is still the Cinderella of healthcare. There has been less interest, attention and commitment than there should have been," Wilson said.

Freeman said that the provision of services for mental health was far from ideal.

"We are some way towards achieving our policy and legislative goals but there is no doubt we have a long way to go," he told MPs. "Many hospitals did not even have the capacity to conduct the 72-hour assessment required to determine whether someone with an acute psychiatric disturbance was mentally ill or suffering from a disease such as cerebral malaria," he said.

"The public sector faces a severe shortage of psychiatrists and psychologists," he said. "Only 14% of the 2,692 clinical psychologists registered with the Health Professions Council of SA are working in the public sector, equivalent to just 0.32 psychologists per 100,000 of the population and 0.28 psychiatrists per 100,000," he added.

Source: Business Day via I-Net Bridge