Mental Health Services in Low‐Income Countries: Challenges and Innovations

This is a reflective essay about the time I spent volunteering in mental healthcare in Malawi, prior to commencing my psychiatry training. The burden of illness I saw was enormous and the resources very limited; however, I describe some particular experiences where we were able to deliver excellent care, and which made me reflect about mental health services in low-income countries in general. Details of the patients discussed in this essay have been fully anonymised.

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Human Resources for Mental Health in Low and Middle Income Countries

Health Economics and Healthcare Reform ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-3168-5.ch020 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 354-374

Author(s):

Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam ◽

Reshman Tabassum ◽

Paolo C Colet ◽

Jonas Preposi Cruz ◽

Sukhen Dey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Human Resources ◽

Low Income ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Middle Income ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Low And Middle Income

Mental disorders are a major public health challenge globally, contributing to 40% of the global burden of disease. Nevertheless, it remains highly neglected by health planners and policy makers, particularly in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Bangladesh, one of the low-income countries, suffers from a severe shortage of appropriately trained and an adequate number of human resources to provide mental health care. The authors reviewed available evidence on the dynamics of mental health services in LMIC like Bangladesh, with a view to help develop appropriate policies on human resources. This chapter critically examines the current situation of human resources for mental health in Bangladesh, and explores ways to further strengthen human resources so as to enhance mental health services in the country.

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Empirically Supported Treatments: Dissemination Practices in Impoverished Regions

Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy ◽

10.1891/0889-8391.28.3.186 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 186-197 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Raquel M. Zepeda-Burgos ◽

Eric A. Storch ◽

Maria Claustre Jané Ballabriga

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

El Salvador ◽

Low Income ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Current Status ◽

Health Providers ◽

Empirically Supported Treatments ◽

Empirically Supported

A growing understanding of the implications of childhood psychopathology has driven the dissemination of empirically supported treatments (ESTs). This has not been the case in countries with high rates of poverty and violence—where the need for ESTs is fundamental. In this article, we examined the current status of child psychopathology and mental health services for children in El Salvador to explore key factors that can improve dissemination of ESTs in middle- and low-income countries. In El Salvador, children are constantly exposed to risk factors related to childhood disorders (e.g., violence), and there is an increase in the demand for mental health services for this population. However, a lack of a guiding policy and formal training has led to few psychologists using ESTs. A scientist–practitioner model to guide formal education and training of mental health providers would be the first step to improving the dissemination of ESTs in El Salvador.

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Mental health services for children in public care and other vulnerable groups: Implications for international collaboration

Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1359104510377715 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 555-571 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Panos Vostanis

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Low Income ◽

International Collaboration ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Service Planning ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Public Care

Children in public care and other vulnerable young groups (homeless, adopted, refugees) are increasingly becoming the focus of policy and service planning. There is strong evidence that all these client populations have high rates of mental health problems which are closely associated with other needs. We also have good knowledge on the factors that predispose individuals to and maintain mental health problems, as well as on the reasons for their not easily accessing and engaging with services. There is less evidence on the effectiveness of interventions or service models, although some interesting patterns are beginning to emerge. These include the need for inter-agency commissioning, clear care pathways, designated provision, applied therapeutic interventions, training for carers and frontline practitioners, and multi modal programmes. This paper discusses these issues, as well as ways forward, both for systems with relatively well developed child mental health services and for low-income countries. Service quality can be greatly strengthened by international collaboration on policy, practice and research networks, training and research.

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Cultural psychiatry, diversity and political correctness in a shrinking world

International Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/s1749367600005518 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 27-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

John L. Cox

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Low Income ◽

Global Mental Health ◽

World Health ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

The World

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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Human Resources for Mental Health in Low and Middle Income Countries

Advances in Psychology, Mental Health, and Behavioral Studies - Workforce Development Theory and Practice in the Mental Health Sector ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-1874-7.ch007 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 144-164 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam ◽

Reshman Tabassum ◽

Paolo C Colet ◽

Jonas Preposi Cruz ◽

Sukhen Dey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Human Resources ◽

Low Income ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Middle Income ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Low And Middle Income

Mental disorders are a major public health challenge globally, contributing to 40% of the global burden of disease. Nevertheless, it remains highly neglected by health planners and policy makers, particularly in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Bangladesh, one of the low-income countries, suffers from a severe shortage of appropriately trained and an adequate number of human resources to provide mental health care. The authors reviewed available evidence on the dynamics of mental health services in LMIC like Bangladesh, with a view to help develop appropriate policies on human resources. This chapter critically examines the current situation of human resources for mental health in Bangladesh, and explores ways to further strengthen human resources so as to enhance mental health services in the country.

Download Full-text

Using Community-Level Mental Health Surveillance Data to Examine the Relationship of Depression Prevalence to Social Determinants of Health and Access to Mental Health Services

Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health ◽

10.7870/cjcmh-2013-005 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 43-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shawn R. Currie ◽

Kirsten Fiest ◽

Lindsay Guyn

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Social Determinants Of Health ◽

Social Determinants ◽

Low Income ◽

Community Level ◽

Determinants Of Health ◽

Treatment Access ◽

Depression Prevalence

The effect of social determinants of health on depression prevalence and treatment access was examined using community survey and administrative data on mental health service users in the Calgary Health Region (CHR). Consistent with national prevalence data, depression was significantly associated with female gender, younger age, and health risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, and obesity. The prevalence of depression causing interference in daily functioning across 19 social districts (subregions within the CHR) was significantly related to community-level indicators of single-parent status, low-income families, and low educational achievement in each district. Disparities in treatment access were also found with persons living in the most impoverished districts having the lowest rates of accessing professional mental health services.

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