Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-n9wrp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-19T10:19:22.836Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Non-communicable diseases and the mental health gap: what is to be done?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Vijay Ganju*
Affiliation:
World Federation for Mental Health, email vkganju@gmail.com
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The increasing evidence base for cost-effective interventions and a fledgling advocacy effort have given momentum to mental health becoming a global priority. The contention of this editorial is that we are at a tipping point if we can exploit the opportunities that will be afforded to mental health professionals and advocates in the next year or two. The missing links are the development of consensus among mental health stakeholders, the formation of coalitions and partnerships with both advocates and policy-makers, and the mobilisation of a stronger advocacy effort built around consumer and family member ‘voice’ and empowerment.

Type
Guest editorial
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits noncommercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists 2012

References

Bass, J. K., Bornemann, T. H., Burkey, M., et al (2012) A United Nations General Assembly Special Session for mental, neurological, and substance use disorder: the time has come. PLoS Medicine, 9(1), e1001159 (doi: 10.1371/journal B Med. 1001159).Google Scholar
Collins, P. Y., Patel, V., Joestl, S. S., et al (2011) Grand challenges in global mental health. Nature, 475, 2730.Google Scholar
Ganju, V. (2011a) Psychiatric illnesses and the global NCD agenda: five reasons why they should be explicitly included. Statement to the WHO Global Forum, Moscow, Russian Federation.Google Scholar
Ganju, V. (2011b) Mental Health: The Non-Communicable Disease That Cannot Be Forgotten. Report of a Meeting with Health Ministers. World Federation for Mental Health.Google Scholar
Ghodse, H. (2011) Statement to the High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on Non-Communicable Diseases, 19 September.Google Scholar
Lancet (2007) Global mental health. At http://www.thelancet.com/series/global-mental-health (accessed October 2012).Google Scholar
United Nations General Assembly (2011) Political Declaration of the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. At http://www.un.org/documents/instruments/docs_en.asp (accessed October 2012).Google Scholar
WHO (2010a) mhGAP Intervention Guide for Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders in Non-Specialized Health Settings. Mental Health Gap Action Programme, WHO.Google Scholar
WHO (2010b) Mental Health and Development: Targeting People with Mental Health Conditions as a Vulnerable Group. WHO.Google Scholar
WHO (2011) Mental Health Atlas 2011. WHO.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.