The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched new guidance to help countries reform and strengthen mental health policies and systems.
Mental health services worldwide remain underfunded, with major gaps in access and quality. In some countries, up to 90 per cent of people with severe mental health conditions receive no care at all, while many existing services rely on outdated institutional models that fail to meet international human rights standards, the WHO said.
The guidance provides a framework to transform mental health services in line with the latest evidence and international human rights standards, ensuring quality care is accessible to all.
The new WHO guidance sets out actions to help close the gaps and ensure mental health is promoted and protected, with a focus on: ensuring mental health policies and services are aligned with international human rights standards; promoting holistic care with an emphasis on lifestyle and physical health, psychological, social, and economic interventions; and addressing the social and economic factors that shape and affect mental health including employment, housing and education, among other things.