scholarly journals Information for global mental health

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Lora ◽  
P. Sharan

Background.Information is needed for development of mental health (MH) services; and particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs), where the MH systems are relatively weak. World Health Organization (WHO) has worked intensively during the last 15 years for developing a strategy in the field of MH information.Methods.The paper analyzes WHO instruments developed in this area [MH Atlas series and WHO Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS)].Results.Data from Atlas series and WHO-AIMS demonstrated that the role of information is often neglected at all the steps: from data collection and processing to analysis, dissemination and utilization, particularly in LAMIC. By implementing several sets of feasible MH indicators WHO has technically supported the improvement of the MH information systems in LAMICs.Conclusions.In the last few years the importance of information in MH has increased and has been successfully highlighted; but a lot of work still needs to be done for achieving a minimum set of MH indicators and reliable data that can be used by both high-income countries and LAMIC.

2019 ◽  
pp. 53-70
Author(s):  
Judith K. Bass ◽  
Emily E. Haroz ◽  
Norman Sartorius

This chapter reviews cultural and contextual influences on the presentation and prevalence of mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries. “Culture” is defined as shared norms, beliefs, values, and attitudes, while “context” refers to resource availability and political/social situation. The chapter includes discussion of the local “emic” and universal “etic” approaches to understanding mental health and shows the ways in which cultural and contextual variation influences the understanding, presentation, and treatment of mental and behavioral disorders. Research on understanding the effects of culture on differences in diagnosis and prevalence of mental disorders, as well as processes of recovery, is reviewed as well as guidelines developed by the World Health Organization. The way in which cultural and contextual differences affect choice and implementation of treatment and prevention programs is discussed.


2014 ◽  
Vol 204 (6) ◽  
pp. 415-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross G. White ◽  
S. P. Sashidharan

SummaryThe World Health Organization has made concerted efforts to scale up mental health services in low- and middle-income countries through the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) initiative. However, an overreliance on scaling up services based on those used in high-income countries may risk causing more harm than good.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. A. Tol

The first World Health Organization's global action plan for mental health recognizes the importance of mental health promotion and prevention of mental disorders, through the inclusion of one of four objectives focused on this crucial area of research and practice. This paper aims to provide an ‘aerial view’ of the field of mental health promotion and prevention of mental disorders with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. Starting with reasons why promotion and prevention need to take center stage in global mental health efforts, the paper provides a framework and four general principles to guide such efforts: a socio-ecological perspective (place); an inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary approach (collaboration), a developmental perspective (timing), and a participatory and empowerment approach (strengths), or PaCTS. Evidence-based examples of mental health promotion, universal, selective, and indicated prevention are described.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (S1) ◽  
pp. S-16-S-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Aboaja ◽  
Puja Myles ◽  
Peter Hughes

This paper describes the evaluation of a pilot e-supervision programme, with a focus on feasibility. The findings suggest that e-supervision in mental health using the World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) Intervention Guide and case-based discussions is valued by participants and can improve the knowledge, confidence and beliefs of primary care doctors in low- and middle-income countries.


2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 954-954

Late in 2003 the World Health Organisation convened a meeting of psychiatric journal editors to discuss the role of scientific journals in mental health research in developing countries. The joint statement from the meeting is now available at the Journal's website: http://journals.cambridge.org/final_joint_statement.pdf


2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 194-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dévora Keste ◽  
Ledia Lazer ◽  
Neli Demi ◽  
Santino Severoni ◽  
Antonio Lora ◽  
...  

SUMMARYAims — To describe the mental health system in Albania. Methods — Data were gathered in 2003 and in 2004 using a new WHO instrument, World Health Organization Assessment Instrument for Mental health Systems (WHO-AIMS), designed for collecting essential information on the mental health system of low and middle income countries. It consists of 6 domains, 28 facets and 156 items. Results — The information collected through WHO AIMS covered the key aspects of mental health system in Albania: the mental health policy and the legislative framework, the network of mental health services and the characteristics of the users, the role of the primary health care, the human resources, the public education and the links with other governmental sectors, monitoring and research. Conclusions — The data collection through WHO AIMS represented a needed step for a better in-depth knowledge of the system and for implementing actions to strengthen the system. Examples of planned actions were the improvement of the mental health component in primary care, a clear shift of resources from mental hospitals to community facilities, an increase of the outpatient care and an expansion of the mental health information system.Declaration of Interest: none.


2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Stickley ◽  
T. Sumiyoshi ◽  
Z. Narita ◽  
H. Oh ◽  
J. E. DeVylder ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundPsychotic experiences (PEs) may be associated with injuries, but studies focusing specifically on low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs) are scarce. Thus, the current study examined the link between injuries and PEs in a large number of LAMICs.MethodCross-sectional data were used from 242 952 individuals in 48 LAMICs that were collected during the World Health Survey in 2002–2004 to examine the association between traffic-related and other (non-traffic-related) forms of injury and PEs. Multivariable logistic regression analysis and meta-analysis were used to examine associations while controlling for a variety of covariates including depression.ResultsIn fully adjusted analyses, any injury [odds ratio (OR) 2.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.85–2.31], traffic injury (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.53–2.21) and other injury (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.84–2.37) were associated with higher odds for PEs. Results from a country-wise analysis showed that any injury was associated with significantly increased odds for PEs in 39 countries with the overall pooled OR estimated by meta-analysis being 2.46 (95% CI 2.22–2.74) with a moderate level of between-country heterogeneity (I2 = 56.3%). Similar results were observed across all country income levels (low, lower-middle and upper-middle).ConclusionsDifferent types of injury are associated with PEs in LAMICs. Improving mental health systems and trauma capacity in LAMICs may be important for preventing injury-related negative mental health outcomes.


2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Cox

It is perhaps unusual for an academic journal like the Lancet to spearhead a ‘movement’ to advocate the scaling up of mental health services in low-income countries. Yet at the movement's launch in London in November 2007, attended by representatives from World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, donor agencies, as well as the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, it was clear that a seminal series of papers, published in September of last year, was of the utmost importance for world psychiatry and for our planet. The five papers in the series ‘Global Mental Health’ had the following titles: ‘No health without mental health’; ‘Resources for mental health: scarcity, equity, and inefficiency’; ‘Treatment and prevention of mental disorders in low-income and middle-income countries’; ‘Mental health systems in countries: where are we now?’; and ‘Barriers to improvement of mental health services in low-income and middle-income countries’ (Lancet, September 2007, vol. 370, nos 9590–9593).


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