Community Psychiatry: An Audit of the Services in Southern Gauteng (Report‪)‬

Mental illnesses result in severe distress, impaired productivity and diminished quality of life for the innumerable afflicted individuals and their families. The World Bank Report of 1993 (1) and the Harvard World Mental Health Report of 1996 (2) indicated that about 28% of all disabilities comprise mental illnesses and, furthermore, that 5 of the top 10 causes of disability are mental health problems. The reports projected that by the year 2020 mental health problems would comprise about 15% of the gross burden of diseases, and much more heavily to total disabilities. Although there are no published data on the burden of mental illnesses in South Africa, the epidemiology of mental health disorders in South Africa is similar to that found in developed countries. Rapid urbanisation has exacerbated unemployment, violence, substance abuse, child abuse, HIV/AIDS and the disintegration of traditional social support networks and families. These factors probably contribute to the increasing incidence of mental disorders.