Mental health

MENTAL HEALTH EVIDENCE AND RESEARCH (MER)

The Mental Health: Evidence and Research team (MER) at WHO is deeply committed to closing the gap between what is needed and what is currently available to reduce the burden of mental disorders worldwide and to promote mental health. The MER team transforms this objective into action through the following core projects: Atlas, WHO-AIMS and Mental Health in Emergencies. All of these projects aim to increase the information and evidence base on mental health. In turn, this information can be used to strengthen mental health care systems which will result in better care and services to individuals and communities. Detailed information is provided on each of these projects through the links below.

CORE PROJECTS:

Revision of ICD-10 Mental and Behavioural Disorders

WHO is revising the classification of mental and behavioural disorders as a part of the overall revision of ICD-10. An International Advisory Group has been established for this purpose. Click below to see the Summary Report of the first Meeting of the Advisory Group held in January 2007.

Mental Health Atlas

Mental Health Atlas Project is designed to collect and disseminate data on mental health resources such as policies, plans, financing, care delivery, human resources, medicines, and information systems in the world. The project started in 2001 and the data was updated in 2005 and 2011.

WHO-AIMS

The World Health Organization Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS) is a new WHO tool for collecting essential information on the mental health system of a country or region. The goal of collecting this information is to improve mental health systems and to provide a baseline for monitoring the change.

Mental Health in Emergencies

The target group for WHO work on mental health in emergencies is any population exposed to extreme stressors, such as refugees, internally displaced persons, disaster survivors, and terrorism, or war-exposed populations. Click below for more information and resources on mental health in emergencies.

New MER publications:

Atlas: Global Resources for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Atlas-ID)

This new publication from WHO and the Montreal PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Reference in Mental Health presents evidence on existing resources and services for people with intellectual disabilities around the world. Intellectual disabilities is a neglected area with little information available in the majority of countries on resources and services as well as human rights protection, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Atlas-ID summarizes information from 147 countries, covering the 95% of the global population, thus can be considered as the leading global assessment on intellectual disabilities.

Research capacity for mental health in low- and middle-income countries: Results of a mapping project

This report provides an account of the current status of mental health research in 114 LMICs of Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The scale of the study makes it the first systematic attempt to confirm the pressing needs of improving research capacity in mental health.

Atlas: Nurses in Mental Health 2007

This new publication from WHO and the International Council of Nurses (ICN) summarizes information on the numbers, training, roles and responsibilities of nurses in the mental health field. The most consistent finding in the study is the severe shortage of nurses providing mental health care in most low and middle income countries. This information has been collected from 172 countries from all regions of the world.

Economic Aspects of Mental Health: Key messages to health planners and policy-makers

The aims of this short report are: to highlight the need for and relevance of an economic perspective in planning, providing and evaluating mental health services; and to assist mental health planners and evaluators in understanding and using economic arguments for (a) increasing the allocation of resources for mental health and (b) improving cost-effective utilization of resources to strengthen mental health systems.

Dollars, DALYs and Decisions: Economic Aspects of the Mental Health System

The aims of this report are to highlight the need for and relevance of an economic perspective in the assessment of mental health systems in WHO Member States and in planning and implementing action for their strengthening; and to provide a summary of results from mental health economic analyses undertaken both at the level of WHO regions and Member States, including key messages for strengthening of mental health systems.

Disease Control Priorities related to Mental, Neurological, Developmental and Substance Abuse Disorders

This publication brings together five chapters from Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, 2nd edition (2006), along with an introduction and a conclusion by WHO. The chapters cover mental disorders, neurological disorders, learning and developmental disabilities, and alcohol and illicit opiate abuse. The purpose of this special package is to provide information on cost-effectiveness of interventions for these specific groups of disorders.

Atlas: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Resources

A key to the development of all mental health services, especially child and adolescent mental health services, is the development of a country or regional commitment to provide appropriate needed services. This commitment is demonstrated through policy, legislation, and governance.

Atlas: Psychiatric education and training across the world

Psychiatrists play an important role in the delivery of mental health services. However, global information about the quality of training of psychiatrists is scarce. Do countries train adequate numbers of psychiatrists for their mental health needs? How satisfactory is the training in view of the changing roles of a psychiatrist? Does the training take into account enormously different environments in which psychiatrists work across the world? These and similar questions need urgent answers.

Promoting mental health: Concepts, emerging evidence, practice - Full Report

The Report aims to bring to life the mental health dimension of health promotion. Like health promotion, mental health promotion involves actions that allow people to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles and create living conditions and environments that support health. This book describes the concepts relating to promotion of mental health, the emerging evidence for effectiveness of interventions and the public health policy and practice implications.

Prevention of mental disorders

Mental disorders are inextricably linked to human rights issues. The stigma, discrimination and human rights violations that individuals and families affected by mental disorders suffer are intense and pervasive. At least in part, these phenomena are consequences of a general perception that no effective preventive or treatment modalities exist against these disorders. Effective prevention can do a lot to alter these perceptions and hence change the way mental disorders are looked upon by society.

All MER Publications

Latest news

Latest publications

Public health action for the prevention of suicide

To assist governments in developing and implementing strategies for the prevention of suicide

WHO QualityRights Tool Kit

WHO QualityRights tool kit to improve quality and human rights in mental health facilities

Dementia: a public health priority

Raising awareness of dementia as a public health priority

WHO MIND Project