Global mental health: a new global health field comes of age.

Abstract

LOBAL HEALTH IS “AN AREA FOR STUDY, RESEARCH and practice that places a priority on improving healthandachievingequityinhealthforallpeople worldwide.” 1 Global mental health is the application of these principles to the domain of mental ill health. The most striking inequity concerns the disparities in provision of care and respect for human rights of persons living with mental disorders between rich and poor countries. Low- and middle-income countries are home to more than 80% of the global population but command less than 20% of the share of the mental health resources. 2 The consequent “treatment gap” is a contravention of basic human rights—morethan75%ofthoseidentifiedwithseriousanxiety, mood, impulse control, or substance use disorders in the World Mental Health surveys in low- and middleincome countries received no care at all, despite substantialroledisability. 3 Insub-SaharanAfrica,thetreatmentgap forschizophreniaandotherpsychosescanexceed90%. 4 Even