Conference abstract
The concept of brain health: moving beyond “Mental Health”
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2023:17(37).04
Jun 2023.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2023.17.37.1895
Archived on: 04 Jun 2023
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Brain health, mental health, COVID-19
Oral presentation
The concept of brain health: moving beyond “Mental Health”
Njamnshi Alfred K1,2,3,4,&
1Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN), Geneva, Switzerland, 2Neuroscience Lab, Faculty of Medicine & Biomedical Medicine, The University of Yaoundé l, Cameroon, 3Department of Neurology, Central Hospital Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 4International Brain Initiative (IBI), Cameroon
&Corresponding author
Introduction: the 2022 WHO Mental Health Report (WHO-MHR_22) states, “Twenty years later, all the recommendations of 2021 remain valid (although) there has been progress.” This suggests far less than satisfactory progress, despite tremendous efforts and resources invested in the concept of mental health, even with the WHO special initiative for mental health (2019-2023). On the other hand, the relatively younger “Brain Health” concept appears to be gaining at least more acceptance, with the WHO adoption of the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022-2031 (IGAP) in May 2022. The aim was to submit that the concept of Mental Health may be self-limiting, short-sighted, and stigmatising, offering as such, an understanding/reason for the slow progress, whereas, it is de facto an integral part of the Brain Health concept.
Results: although the WHO-MHR_22 says that “Mental health exists on a complex continuum, with experiences ranging from an optimal state of well-being to debilitating states”, its preface and much of the content rather emphases mental disorders. On the other hand, the WHO “Brain Health” concept is “the state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioral and motor domains, allowing a person to realize their full potential over the life course, irrespective of the presence or absence of disorders. Furthermore, the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) launched its Brain Health Initiative on February 17, 2021, and the WHO adopted the IGAP barely 14 months after this. May it be noted that the WFN and partner organizations worldwide and nations like Cameroon (with high political involvement) have been celebrating World Brain Day (WBD) since 22 July 2014, raising awareness on both neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, as conditions of the brain, most of which are preventable. In Cameroon, the WBD celebration has been extended to the concept of The Brain Week in Cameroon, which in 4 years despite COVID-19, has grown to CEMAC-CEAAC countries. One would then be obliged to argue that the slow progress of Mental Health might have been due to 3 inherent qualities: self-limiting (against growing neuroscience evidence showing neuropsychiatric disorders are brain conditions), short-sighted (scope fails to cover life course) and stigmatizing (already existing stigma with mental illness, confused with mental health).
Conclusion: it is here thus submitted: For “Mental Health” to yield expected outcomes, it appears to be of prime necessity and extreme urgency, to integrate it into the rapidly growing and clearly more comprehensive “Brain Health” concept (initiative).
The concept of brain health: moving beyond “Mental Health”
Njamnshi Alfred K1,2,3,4,&
1Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN), Geneva, Switzerland, 2Neuroscience Lab, Faculty of Medicine & Biomedical Medicine, The University of Yaoundé l, Cameroon, 3Department of Neurology, Central Hospital Yaoundé, Yaoundé, Cameroon, 4International Brain Initiative (IBI), Cameroon
&Corresponding author
Introduction: the 2022 WHO Mental Health Report (WHO-MHR_22) states, “Twenty years later, all the recommendations of 2021 remain valid (although) there has been progress.” This suggests far less than satisfactory progress, despite tremendous efforts and resources invested in the concept of mental health, even with the WHO special initiative for mental health (2019-2023). On the other hand, the relatively younger “Brain Health” concept appears to be gaining at least more acceptance, with the WHO adoption of the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022-2031 (IGAP) in May 2022. The aim was to submit that the concept of Mental Health may be self-limiting, short-sighted, and stigmatising, offering as such, an understanding/reason for the slow progress, whereas, it is de facto an integral part of the Brain Health concept.
Results: although the WHO-MHR_22 says that “Mental health exists on a complex continuum, with experiences ranging from an optimal state of well-being to debilitating states”, its preface and much of the content rather emphases mental disorders. On the other hand, the WHO “Brain Health” concept is “the state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioral and motor domains, allowing a person to realize their full potential over the life course, irrespective of the presence or absence of disorders. Furthermore, the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) launched its Brain Health Initiative on February 17, 2021, and the WHO adopted the IGAP barely 14 months after this. May it be noted that the WFN and partner organizations worldwide and nations like Cameroon (with high political involvement) have been celebrating World Brain Day (WBD) since 22 July 2014, raising awareness on both neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, as conditions of the brain, most of which are preventable. In Cameroon, the WBD celebration has been extended to the concept of The Brain Week in Cameroon, which in 4 years despite COVID-19, has grown to CEMAC-CEAAC countries. One would then be obliged to argue that the slow progress of Mental Health might have been due to 3 inherent qualities: self-limiting (against growing neuroscience evidence showing neuropsychiatric disorders are brain conditions), short-sighted (scope fails to cover life course) and stigmatizing (already existing stigma with mental illness, confused with mental health).
Conclusion: it is here thus submitted: For “Mental Health” to yield expected outcomes, it appears to be of prime necessity and extreme urgency, to integrate it into the rapidly growing and clearly more comprehensive “Brain Health” concept (initiative).
