Addressing the complex needs of people with severe mental health disorders in low-resource settings

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a severe mental health disorder, responsible for 12·2% of disability-adjusted life years caused by mental health and substance use disorders globally,1 it is a cause of individual suffering and of caregiver burden. It is what is commonly understood as mental health disorder in much of the lay population in sub-Saharan Africa2 because it interferes with the attainment of major life goals such as educational attainment, career development, and establishing lifelong supportive relationships, and people with the condition are exposed to human rights abuses and stigma.