2007年VOA标准英语-Researchers Say Mental Health Neglected Globall

By Tendai Maphosa
London
04 September 2007

A report by a team a team of international medical researchers says mental health is being neglected across the world, but more so in developing countries.  From London, Tendai Maphosa has more for VOA.
 

Coalition1, Ron Fry, seated behind medicine bottles testifies during a Senate hearing on mental healthcare needs of service affairs members and veterans, Tacoma, Wash., Friday, 17 Aug. 2007 " hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070907/1107360.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Vietnam veteran and Deputy Commander for Blue Mountain Veteran Coalition, Ron Fry, seated behind medicine bottles testifies during a Senate hearing on mental healthcare needs of service affairs members and veterans, Tacoma, Wash., Friday, 17 Aug. 2007

The report, published in The Lancet medical journal, says mental health problems remain neglected and deeply stigmatized³ globally.

The report says about 30 percent of the world's population suffers some form of mental disorder⁴, but at least two-thirds of those affected⁵ receive inadequate⁶ or no treatment, even in developed countries with the best resources.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Professor Martin Prince of the Institute of Psychiatry⁷ at King's College London put what he described as "the burden of mental health worldwide"  in context.
 
"Neuropsychiatric conditions are the biggest single contributor to the burden of disease among ... non-communicable diseases," ," Professor Prince said. "Twenty eight percent of all the burden from non-communicable diseases comes from neuropsychiatric conditions.  That is more than cardiovascular disease, that is more than cancer, and this is mainly because of the chronic⁸ disabling effects of psychosis, of depression, of bipolar disorder, and substance and alcohol use disorder."
 
Prince said the impact of mental health conditions is underestimated.  He said only 40,000 deaths are attributed to mental illness annually⁹ across the world, but the reality is 800,000 people commit suicide each year because of such illnesses as schizophrenia, depression, obsessive¹⁰ compulsive disorder, and anxiety.

The report says the situation is worse in poor countries as a result of scarce financial resources.  It points out that 90 percent of sufferers in developing countries receive no care.

In Zambia, for instance, the mentally ill are mostly neglected and in some cases hidden away by families ashamed of having a relative with such a disorder.  In a lot of developing countries, factors such as witchcraft¹¹, demonic possession and ritual cleansing¹² are also blamed for mental illness.
 
The report attacked institutions such as the World Health Organization for making lofty statements of intent that have not been followed by action.

The Lancet editor, Dr. Richard Horton, said the report aims to have mental health accorded the attention it deserves.
 
"One of the key conclusions from this report is that there has been a critical failure of leadership across countries, agencies, funders and the medical profession itself, and that failure has continued to stigmatize² mental ill health, marginalize those with mental health problems," Dr. Horton said. "This report aims to draw a line between that era of neglect and what we believe can be a new social scientific and political movement to make mental health a vital interest for the future."

The report says almost one-third of countries worldwide have no budget for mental health, and one-fifth of those that have set aside money spend less than one percent of their total health budget on it. 

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 stigmatize   

v.污蔑，玷污

参考例句：

• Children in single-parent families must not be stigmatized.单亲家庭的孩子们不应该受到歧视。
• They are often stigmatized by the rest of society as lazy and dirty.他们经常被社会中的其他人污蔑为懒惰、肮脏。

3 stigmatized   

v.使受耻辱，指责，污辱( stigmatize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was stigmatized as an ex-convict. 他遭人污辱，说他给判过刑。 来自辞典例句
• Such a view has been stigmatized as mechanical jurisprudence. 蔑称这种观点为机械法学。 来自辞典例句

4 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

7 psychiatry   

n.精神病学，精神病疗法

参考例句：

• The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
• A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

8 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

9 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

10 obsessive   

adj. 着迷的, 强迫性的, 分神的

参考例句：

• Some people are obsessive about cleanliness.有些人有洁癖。
• He's becoming more and more obsessive about punctuality.他对守时要求越来越过分了。

11 witchcraft   

n.魔法，巫术

参考例句：

• The woman practising witchcraft claimed that she could conjure up the spirits of the dead.那个女巫说她能用魔法召唤亡灵。
• All these things that you call witchcraft are capable of a natural explanation.被你们统统叫做巫术的那些东西都可以得到合情合理的解释。

12 cleansing   

n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词

参考例句：

• medicated cleansing pads for sensitive skin 敏感皮肤药物清洗棉
• Soap is not the only cleansing agent. 肥皂并不是唯一的清洁剂。