Abstract
The global situation for people with mental illness – in developing and developed countries – is dire. Legislative and human rights protections are frequently lacking. Mental health budgets are inadequate. There are insufficient numbers of skilled policy makers, managers and clinicians. Communities are poorly informed about mental health and illness and not well organised for purposes of advocacy. In most of the world, mental health services are inaccessible or of poor quality. Most people who would benefit from psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation do not have affordable access to such services. Leadership – at all levels – for mental health system development needs to be greatly strengthened.While mental health research attention and funds are devoted predominantly to neuroscience and clinical research, we believe that the highest global mental health research priority is mental health systems research. There is an urgent need to focus on the development of effective, appropriate, affordable mental health services. The evidence base for such development is currently weak.The International Journal of Mental Health Systems aims to stimulate greater attention to the central importance of building functioning mental health systems. Rapid publication and global reach through open access will make this journal a resource for all those who wish to contribute to such development.
Highlights
The need for increased attention to and investment in mental health has been repeatedly highlighted, often with recommendations about what should be done [1]
In 2003 Time Asia ran a story [3] accompanied by a disturbing photoessay [4], that graphically illustrated the plight of people with mental illness is Asia
There is increasing research support for the view that publishing in open access journals has the potential to accelerate recognition and dissemination of research findings [16]. We intend that this will be the journal to which mental health system researchers, Health Ministers' advisers, policy makers, mental health consultants advising countries on mental health system development, teachers in psychiatry, nursing, psychology, social work and public health courses, clinicians involved in mental health system reform, and others will turn for the latest research and policy information on how to build equitable, accessible, efficient, high quality mental health systems
Summary
The need for increased attention to and investment in mental health has been repeatedly highlighted, often with recommendations about what should be done [1]. There is increasing research support for the view that publishing in open access journals has the potential to accelerate recognition and dissemination of research findings [16] We intend that this will be the journal to which mental health system researchers, Health Ministers' advisers, policy makers, mental health consultants advising countries on mental health system development, teachers in psychiatry, nursing, psychology, social work and public health courses, clinicians involved in mental health system reform, and others will turn for the latest research and policy information on how to build equitable, accessible, efficient, high quality mental health systems
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