Today, I was talking to a worker of mine on the phone, and we had one of those conversations where we were talking about the fact that research for mental illness is really underfunded, "Yeah, compared to other diseases, it's amazing how little funding goes into the search for cures for mental illnesses." We agreed it is primarily because of the lack of "sexiness" of the mental illnesses, also it is due to the stigma attached to mental illnesses.
I read a lot of news online because I like the depth and the variety of viewpoints available. So, about 6 months ago there was a huge story in the world of philanthropy, Warren Buffett, the 2nd richest man in the USA according to the Forbes 500, a man worth many billions of dollars to his name will bequeath his considerable fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I could only think, "Wow! Imagine if even a small percentage of that money goes to searching for cures for mental illness!"
So, I called NARSAD (The National Alliance on Research for Schizophrenia And Depression, and I talked to a few people there letting them know about this big news that they had not heard of yet. The areas of interest of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are the following: Global Development Program, Global Health Program, United States Program. I went to the Gates' Foundation Website, and I couldn't find any mention of any kind of real commitment to mental health.
By 2020 the World Health Organization projects that depression alone will be the #2 cause of disability around the world. Add schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders to the mix.. and you definitely have an amazing fount of suffering that could definitely be treated better with a better understanding of those disorders. I have yet to see that The Gates foundation has donated anything to NARSAD. And, because around the world 1 in 4 people will be facing mental problems of some sort during their lifetimes... It would just make more sense if Mr.Gates would look past the "sexy" disorders.. and give the gift of mental health to billions around the world.
Why am I picking on the Gates Foundation? It is because they are the most well-known philanthropic foundation that is out there right now. If they took a leadership position in the world of mental health.. everyone would benefit.
That's my 2 cents for today.
