Walsh, GII and Mental Health      1

Running Head: GII AND MENTAL HEALTH

An Exploration of Mental Health

and the
Global Information Infrastructure

Maura Walsh
Emporia State University

An Exploration of Mental Health and the Global Information Infrastructure

Introduction and overview
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One crucial factor in implementing a successful global information infrastructure and creating a

knowledge society is to enable as large a majority as possible to access knowledge. Many factors

can influence a person’s ability to access information: technological infrastructure and access,

literacy and linguistic ability, economic resources, and the freedom to take advantage of these.

However there is one component that can negate one’s access even if all of the above are in place

and functioning well. That is health. Within the field of health, mental health is an area worthy of

investigation because it has long been a taboo subject in many societies. It affects an increasing

number of people worldwide, and there are some interesting changes in our understanding of

what it encompasses and possible treatments. It is not only an area that bears investigating

because it affects access, but the dissemination and diffusion of our growing knowledge about it

can increase treatment and therefore increase access in turn.

This bibliography attempts to unite some of the most important documents about the extent of

this illness and what kind of policies should be implemented to allow those suffering to

overcome or cope with their illness, permitting them to participate more meaningfully in the

global information infrastructure as well as allowing the rest of society to benefit from what their

full participation could add to the knowledge society. Another facet of this benefit is that they

may become a participating, contributing component instead of an encumbrance on common

resources.

Austrailian Government, (2007, October 2). Community awareness and destimatimization.

Retrieved June 29, 2008, from Beyond Blue Web site:

http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=2.524

Authority of the author: Beyond Blue was established in 2000 and has a board that includes
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government officials, doctors, and leading mental health specialists from across the country

Relevance: It was founded to create a community response to depression and mental illness

while moving it into a sphere where it is seen as a less threatening occurrence and one in which

the whole community can help acknowledge and accommodate those suffering from it.

Contribution to our understanding of the GII: Because of the World Health Organization’s

predictions of mental health issues becoming more prevalent in our societies, the Australian

government hopes to encourage community involvement to help break the cycle of increasing

disability. This is one of the few wide based efforts to educate the society to try and change the

projected course.

Coverage: They try to create bold and innovative programs to fight mental illness and involve the

whole community changing attitudes. They support research and primary care as well as early

intervention.

Point of view/bias: This web site is a whole heartedly dedicated to involving the community and

helping foster partnerships in order to build a society that answers to the need to support help for

the mentally ill. There are neither detractors nor distractions here.

Cohen, A., Kleinman, A., & Saraceno, B. (2002). World mental health casebook: Social and

mental health programs in low-income countries. New York: Springer.

Authority of the authors: Alex Cohen, Ph.D. is an anthropologist and Assistant Professor of

Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, with an interest in cultural psychiatry and mental

health. Arthur Kleinman, M.D. is one of the world’s foremost medical anthropologists and a

major figure in cultural psychiatry, global health, and social medicine. Dr Saraceno, from the
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University of Milan, is the Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance

Dependence of the World Health Organization

Relevance: This book was undertaken to update the 1974 study of the effectiveness of mental

health treatments in developing countries. The goal is to be able to build upon the relevance of

the earlier studies to see where we have come and what is needed today.

Contribution to our understanding of the GII: Many factors like social and economical

inequalities, gender discrimination, political violence and malnutrition and poor physical health

all contribute to the social and psychological decline of both individuals and communities. The

advances in research and pharmacology can provide better options if there is a concerted effort to

make them available.

Coverage: The cases examined here come from the South Pacific, Asia, South and Latin America

and Europe. They show examples of community-based interventions of outreach to individuals,

families and communities that could be considered good models to follow.

Point of view/bias: The authors certainly seem sufficiently qualified to prevent unwonted bias.

The emphasis is on people coming from and living in restricted circumstances, but some lessons

could be extrapolated for more general application.

Desjarlais, R. Eisenberg, L. Good, B. & Kleinman, A. (Ed.). (1996). World mental health:

Problems and priorities in low income countries. Oxford, UK: Oxford University

Press.

Authority of the author: Robert Desjarlais, Department of Anthropology, Sarah Lawrence

College , Leon Eisenberg, Professor of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School , Byron Good,
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Professor of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School , and Arthur Kleinman, Professor of

Medical Anthropology, Department of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Relevance: This book details effective interventions, methods of treatment, preventative

programs and how to develop good policy. It also details the consequences, which seem to

increase exponentially, of allowing people to succumb to the consequences of untreated illness.

Contribution to our understanding of the GII: First the report shows the result of the growing

burden of untreated mental health problems. This study underlines the issue of mental health and

well-being in the international agenda and reminds us of the great affliction caused by mental

illness and how much is lost in productivity and ability to reach a genuine knowledge society

Coverage: This comprehensive review is a systematic overview of mental health problems in

low-income societies. It shows how global social change impacts mental health. A variety of

tables and case studies make it easy to understand the scope of the problem.

Point of view/bias: This book was written by recognized experts in the field and does not seem

to have biases or hidden agendas although it certainly advocates for helping poorer societies

combat mental health problems.

Kandel, E. (2005). Psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and the new biology of mind . Arlington, VA :

American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.

Authority of the author: Kandel is a Nobel Prize-winning psychiatrist and neurobiologist who

has bridged the gap between psychoanalysis and biology helping disprove long held tenets. His

work is groundbreaking for the future of controlling and curing mental illness.

Relevance: Kandel has proven that the brain is capable of regeneration and that psychotherapy is
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part of an effective treatment. In the broader picture, he outlines how isolated academic or

governmental policies will never be fruitful.

Contribution to our understanding of the GII: This book successfully shows the relationship

between ‘the health of the individual brain, and the health of mankind as a whole’. He shows that

we need to interrupt the cycle of poverty in order to progress and that the individuals’ minds are

the ultimate source of power.

Coverage: This book is the latest product of a privileged mind and more than 30 years of

research. It covers the biology of brain construction and regeneration, the impact of treatments

and how improving understanding will continue to improve treatments.

Point of view/bias: Although the work is Kandel’s, and he is widely recognized as the leading

authority in the field, he also includes commentaries by other outstanding experts with each

essay in the book.

Layard, R. (2005, January 24). Mental health: Britain’s biggest social problem?. Retrieved

June 30, 2008, Web site:

http://cep.lse.ac.uk/textonly/research/mentalhealth/RL414d.pdf

Authority of the author: Layard is an economist educated at Cambridge and The London School

of Economic where he was founder­director in 1990 of the Centre for Economic Performance and 

is a current program director.

Relevance: Layard explores the way it which depression is a burden on society: the suffering of

the individuals and the ever increasing economic cost if it goes untreated.
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Contribution to our understanding of the GII: Layard’s study concentrates on the situation in the

UK but states that comparisons to most analogous countries are similar. As we see over and over

again, this means that the digital divide endures, a segment of the society cannot participate in

the progress of the rest of the society and a rift may develop. Much of this is avoidable, because

effective treatment is available.

Coverage: Layard lays out all the facts and figures from an economic point of view and makes a

very convincing case for providing good treatment. He illustrates many points with very

effective graphs and figures.

Point of view/bias: Layard’s style is quite sparse and to the point. He certainly has a point of

view and expresses it quite clearly. However, since it is also in keeping with most of what the

leading mental health experts support, it seems to be a very sensible proposition.

Levine, A. (2008, June 6). 'Vast treatment gap' plagues mental illness around globe.

American Psychiatric Association, 43, from

http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/43/11/24

Authority of the author: Levine has a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley. He is

doing post doctoral research for the National Science Foundation at Brown University. He is

broadly published and has given many presentations at national and international forums.

Relevance: There is a vast treatment gap and mental health treatment is still seen as a peripheral

component of global health. Poverty, natural disasters and conflicts tend to worsen the problem.

Mental illness is a social detriment. Only half of the adults and one third of the children who

need treatment receive it.

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Contribution to our understanding of the GII: Once again, leading world authorities point out

that many in our societies are hindered by mental illness, chiefly depression, and that, without

treatment, the gaps like the digital divide and physical health issues will become a greater

problem to both developing and developed countries. Bridging that gap requires the involvement

of the global health community.

Coverage: People with mental illness in developing countries tend to receive medieval treatment

or none at all. Here the participants urge that these institutions be reformed and that an

international effort be made to ensure that better coverage is given. This is a burden in developed

countries as well, and we need to diffuse more information about it.

Point of view/bias: This article reports the opinions of many well known experts in the world

mental health community who call for a more vital position for mental health care in the global

health community.

Morrall, P. , & Hazelton, M (2005). Mental health global policies and human rights.

Abingdon, Oxfordshire, U.K.: Whurr Publishers.

Authority of the authors: Dr. Peter Morrall, Senior Lecturer in Health and Sociology, Head of

Group for mental Health, Learning Disabilities and behavioral Sciences and a member of the

Sociology of Mental Health Study Group. Mike Hazelton is the head of the school of nursing and

midwifery and professor of mental health nursing at the university of Newcastle and Hunter New

England Mental Health. They have conducted extensive research and are widely published

Relevance: This book examines the history of mental health initiatives, recent growth, current

conditions, and the possible future of mental health policies in 10 countries: the United

Kingdom, United States, Australia, Italy, Egypt, India, Brazil, Russia, and Mozambique.
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Contribution to our understanding of the GII: This book explains the different situations in

distinct countries and may be taken as representative of others. It shows how sometimes progress

made in one area is either not accepted or not disseminated to others. Policies are often

determined by the state without regard to the needs of individuals.

Coverage: Geographically and politically, the countries chosen represent a broad spectrum of

political and cultural systems. Historically, the authors give a good overview of mental health

policies and relate them directly to human rights

Point of view/bias: Although the authors publish a disclaimer that they neither represent nor

endorse any group, sometimes their vocabulary seems to carry more than only neutral

disapprobation.

Ustun, T. B. (1999).The global burden of mental disorder. American Journal of Public

Health. 89, 1315-8.

Authority of the author: T. B. Ustun has extensive experience in the field and has developed the

SCAN, a widely used diagnostic tool to understand and measure what the patient feels.

Relevance: There is certainly ample evidence for including mental disorders with essential health

treatment packages. The author advocates that there should be no difference between mental

health and physical health coverage. This should be part and parcel of all public health practice.

Contribution to our understanding of the GII: All the data on world wide mental health problems

show that it is dragging society as a whole: patients, communities, and world infrastructure.

More research is needed, but we must start treating more effectively because the burden on our

development will continue to grow until it is dealt with.

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Coverage: The most effective case can be made for treatment that includes both psychosocial

counseling and psychotropic drug treatment. Given the time that has passed since the publication

of this article it is interesting to note that this is still the current wisdom in the field. Drugs have

improved enormously, and more is known about the effectiveness of talk therapy, but Ustun

certainly hit on the right answer.

Point of view/bias: The author comes down squarely on the side of pharmacological treatment in

conjunction with therapeutic treatment, which is in keeping with most modern thinking in the

field, but does not necessarily reflect the publicly acceptable view of treatment. However it is the

most cost effective and successful.

Wang, P. S., Aguilar­Gaxiola, S., Angemeyer, M, Borges, G., Bornet, E. J., & Buffarets , R. 

(2007). Use of mental health services for anxiety, mood, and substance disorders in 

17 countries in the WHO world mental health surveys. The Lancet. 370, 841­50.

Authority of the author: Dr Wang is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine, Health Care

Policy and Epidemiology at Harvard Medical School. The Lancet is a highly respected

professional journal.

Relevance: This article deals directly with depression, which currently causes the greatest

handicap in health. (More than diseases like angina, arthritis, asthma, and diabetes.) When

depression is combined with other illness it incrementally worsens health.

Contribution to our understanding of the GII: This article underscores the importance of

responding to the mental health of world wide populations in order to help close the digital

divide.
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Coverage: This is another article that reaches the same conclusions as the Morrall article while

covering a broader cross section of countries (60) and more details about the incidence of illness.

The results indicate the urgency of addressing depression as a public-health priority to reduce

disease burden and disability, and to improve the overall health of populations.

Point of view/bias: The Lancet, one of the oldest peer-reviewed medical journals in the world, is

the world's leading independent general medical journal. Its coverage is one of the most

extensive and international in focus.

World Health Organization, Funk, M., & Saraceno, B. (2003). Planning and budgeting to

deliver services for mental health. New York: World Health Organization.

Authority of the author: Dr M. Funk is the coordinator of Mental Health Policy and Service

Development at the World Health Organization. Dr Saraceno, from the University of Milan, is

the Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence of the World Health

Organization

Relevance: This book is a project manual for a five year plan to help communities, especially in

poorer areas, develop plans that involve all stakeholders, managers and providers in the best

methods of providing services in the community through user friendly modules.

Contribution to our understanding of the GII: Here the diffusion of ideas to provide community

services is outlined in a practical manner to enable communities to enact the type of services

necessary.

Coverage: This book attempts to assist different countries in implementing strategies to protect

and promote the rights of people with mental disorders. They provide guidelines to identify the
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population that needs services and the services that they need.

Point of view/bias: This is a publication of the WHO and reflects their best practices. Any time

such exact models are laid out there are bound to be limitations unless those implementing them

possess the knowledge and flexibility necessary to adapt them to local needs.

Summary

Mental health can be a barrier tantamount to any other cultural barrier. Unlike language or

religion, mental health is also an obstacle that exists within most societies. It is one that is

misunderstood but also one in which many advances are being made. It is necessary to be

cognizant of the improvements and help implement them in order to help establish and promote

the knowledge societies that have the potential to provide so much benefit to the world.

For a long time man has treated emotion and thought as functions that were almost independent 

from our physical health. Today scientists are learning that what had been accepted as fact about 

the brain is incorrect. They are discovering that genetics also plays an important part in how 

people function emotionally within society. Mental illness can have a debilitating effect on 

society, but the answer should be to continue studying it, apply what is learned and help more 

people be able to contribute to and participate in the knowledge societies. Global information 

infrastructures, through academics, knowledge sharing and public education and outreach can be 

well employed in helping reach this goal.