Mental health systems in countries: where are we now?
K. S. Jacoba b✉, Pratap Sharanc d, İlyas Mirzae, Marco Garrido‐Cumbreraf, Soraya Seedatg h i j, Mari Jjk l, Vishnubhatla Sreenivasm n, Shekhar Saxenaf
- aDepartment of Psychiatry, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
- bDept. of Psychiatry, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
- cDepartment of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
- dDepartment of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi, India
- eInstitute of Psychiatry, Rawalpindi Medical College, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
- fDepartment of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
- gMRC Unit on Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa
- hMRC Unit on Anxiety Disorders, Department of Psychiatry
- iUniversity of Stellenbosch
- jCape Town South Africa
- kDepartment of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- lDept. of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Abstract
More than 85% of the world's population lives in 153 low-income and middle-income countries (LAMICs). Although country-level information on mental health systems has recently become available, it still has substantial gaps and inconsistencies. Most of these countries allocate very scarce financial resources and have grossly inadequate manpower and infrastructure for mental health. Many LAMICs also lack mental health policy and legislation to direct their mental health programmes and services, which is of particular concern in Africa and South East Asia. Different components of mental health systems seem to vary greatly, even in the same-income categories, with some countries having developed their mental health system despite their low-income levels. These examples need careful scrutiny to derive useful lessons. Furthermore, mental health resources in countries seem to be related as much to measures of general health as to economic and developmental indicators, arguing for improved prioritisation for mental health even in low-resource settings. Increased emphasis on mental health, improved resources, and enhanced monitoring of the situation in countries is called for to advance global mental health.
TL;DRMental health resources in countries seem to be related as much to measures of general health as to economic and developmental indicators, arguing for improved prioritisation for mental health even in low-resource settings. (Semantic Scholar)