// SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: HEALTH
Integral brain health: The unifying goal for health, productivity and well-being
Amid rising rates of brain and mental disorders, an integrative approach is needed, drawing on all of the resources at our disposal. In this, G7 members are uniquely positioned to lead the way on adopting integral brain health as a shared policy goal
developing all-cause dementia later in life. Both groups of disorders originate from the same organ. Globally, brain and mental disorders account for 522 and 258 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYS), respectively. This is more than the burden of cancer (260 million DALYS) and cardiovascular disease (402 million DALYS) put together. The financial burden is staggering, with lost income estimated at $1.2 trillion, largely due to migraine, depression and anxiety. On top of that, worldwide healthcare spending on brain-related conditions amounts to $1.1 trillion, with a substantial share attributed to dementia, stroke, depression and anxiety. A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO BRAIN HEALTH Neurodevelopment disorders and neonatal encephalopathy have life-long effects. Mental disorders predominate in late adolescence and early adult life, and brain disorders late in life. Consequently, it is necessary to take a lifetime approach, as advocated by the World Health Organization. The first step in integrating the prevention of brain and mental disorders is to adopt
a working definition that includes physical, mental and social health. We propose this definition: ‘When thinking, feeling and connecting with others are at their best in a safe, healthy, and supportive environment’. We call it integral brain health because it incorporates the determinants of brain, mental and social health. Also, it can use an integral brain health index that is independent of language, literacy and culture to measure change. The challenge of implementation is vast, yet the moment for action has arrived. Recognising the urgency, the WHO has established global brain and mental health initiatives, the European Academy of Neurology has introduced a brain health strategy, the Yaoundé Declaration on Brain Economy, Brain Health and Brain Capital outlines an African brain health plan, and several national-level plans such as the American Academy of Neurology Brain Health Initiative, while in Norway, Finland, Italy and India brain health plans have been developed. Most plans rely on governments that in turn depend on taxation, however, decreasing birth rates mean a shrinking taxation base to support an expanding older population.
W e have been hurled into technology and threatened by ageing. One fact remains certain: in a world of automation, a knowledge-based economy and artificial intelligence, being able to thrive will require human intelligence, mental resilience and social skills. The greatest health threats to a bright future are the growing number of brain and mental disorders. Neurological conditions frequently coexist with major depressive and anxiety disorders, driven by shared psychosocial risk factors, such as lifestyle choices, social isolation, poverty and discrimination. Furthermore, the relationship between psychiatric and neurological disorders is bidirectional – evidence shows that clinically significant depression and anxiety increase the likelihood of turbulent and unpredictable times, transformed by Vladimir Hachinski, University of Western Ontario, Guy Rouleau, Montreal Neurological Institute, and Danuta Wasserman, Karolinska Institutet
94 // G7 CANADA: THE KANANASKIS SUMMIT 2025
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