October 10 is World Mental Health Day.

This year's theme is "Mental Health in an Unequal World", which is dedicated to a major challenge in this area - unequal access to mental health services.

This inequality is more pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, where 75-95% of people with mental disorders have no access to mental health services at all.

Lack of investment in mental health, which is disproportionate to the overall health budget, contributes to the delay in mental health treatment.

According to studies, there is a lack of quality care for people with mental health problems. This also proves that it can take a person 15 years from the first appearance of symptoms to receiving treatment.

It is also noteworthy that the stigma and discrimination that these people experience not only affects their physical and mental health, but also their education opportunities, current and future income, and job prospects, as well as their families and loved ones.

The 2021 World Mental Health Day Campaign - Mental Health in an Unequal World will allow us to focus on the issues that contribute to mental health inequality locally and globally.

On World Mental Health Day, Caucasus University celebrates the EU-funded ERASMUS + CBHE Institutional Development Project " Establishment of Psychological Counseling Centers for Students in Georgian Higher Education Institutions (E-PSY)". The aim of the project is to establish student psychological counseling centers in Georgian higher education institutions, including Caucasus University, and to develop official documents for decision makers (representatives of the Georgian government, Ministry of Education and Science) to raise public awareness about mental health and focus on the importance of psychological counseling for students in Georgian higher education institutions.