The global financial crisis is likely to cause increased mental health problems as people struggle to deal with poverty and unemployment, the World Health Organization warned Thursday. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are already affected by mental problems such as depression and bipolar disorders   and the current market meltdown   could worsen feelings of despair among people who can't stand such illnesses. The United Nations agency said the impact  could be especially marked for those living in low and middle income countries where access to treatment is often limited. "We should not be surprised at the turbulence   and likely consequences of the current financial crisis.Now we are seeing a huge gap in taking care of people in great need," WHO director general Margaret Chan told at a meeting of mental health experts. "It should not come as a surprise that we continue to see more stresses, suicides and mental disorders," Chan warned. Benedetto Saraceno, director of WHO's mental health, said mental health disorders affected one in four people at some point in their lives. Mental and neurological  disorders are often chronic   and disabling, he said.Nearly 1 million people commit suicide worldwide every year, a large part of them are young adults. Asked about the financial crisis, Saraceno said, "Poverty can be the consequence of such events, the debts, despair and sense of loss that may reach middle and lower classes.Even the poor can be affected by this crisis." "There is clear evidence that suicide is linked to financial disasters.I am not talking about the millionaire's jumping out of the window but about poor people," he said.The global crisis could be expected to affect the "stability of communities and families", according to Saraceno. The United Nations agency worried that    _    .
more rich people would commit suicide the financial crisis might especially influence developing or underdeveloped countries the current market meltdown could worsen feelings of despair hundreds of millions of people in the world were already affected by mental problems