Mental Health Day 2025 OUTDATED LAWS HAMPER MENTAL HEALTH POLICY

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than one billion people worldwide live with a mental disorder, yet most remain underserved. Mental disorders are a leading cause of disability; the economic consequences are staggering.

- By Nishantha Hewage

The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) in 1992 established the World Mental Health Day to create awareness about mental health issues and to advocate for greater support for people with mental health conditions worldwide. Later, the UN adopted it and declared October 10 as World Mental Health Day.

This year's theme is "Mental Humanitarian According HEALTH WHO, Health in Emergencies" to the "WORLD ORAGANISATION" the day serves as a powerful reminder that there is no health without mental health. This year's campaign focuses on the urgent need to support mental health and psychosocial needs of people affected by humanitarian emergencies.

In light of these events, the Daily mirror reached out to experts to gather their views.

Speaking to the Daily mirror, consultant psychiatrist and former president of the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists Dr.Kapila Ranasinghe said: "After the declaration of October 10 as World Mental Health Day, many cultures began to understand the importance of celebrating it to create awareness and improve understanding about mental well-being and mental health disorders. Creating awareness of stigma, improving access, and encouraging policy changes are important areas. However, the Sri Lankan mental health law (ordinance),which was enacted in 1873 during British colonial times, is outdated." Although the law was amended in 1956, he said that it was not sufficient to address the mental health needs of the country at an optimum level. "The mental health law we have today does not provide a safe and userfriendly framework to help people seeking support for mental health disorders. Although Sri Lanka has a mental health policy, its Implementation is inadequate and questionable, as it has not catered to the public mental health needs.

To carry out the policy, we need a proper mental health law and a service structure, which has not been established so far," Dr. Ranasinghe said.