Overview

Global health is an area for study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. Global mental health is the application of these principles to the domain of mental ill-health. The most striking inequity is that concerning the disparities in provision of care and respect for human rights of people living with mental health problems (MHP) between rich and poor countries. Low and middle income countries (LMIC) are home to over 80% of the global population, but command less than 20% of the share of the mental health resources. The consequent 'treatment gap' is in itself a contravention of basic human rights. Even where treatment is provided, far too often this falls far below minimum acceptable standards. Failure to provide basic necessities such as adequate nourishment, clothing, shelter, comfort and privacy, and the administration of unauthorized and unmonitored detention, shackling and chaining are all well documented abuses, described recently as a 'failure of humanity'. The emergence of the discipline of global mental health as one of the most dynamic fields of global health underscores the need for this textbook for students of the discipline. Global mental health was cited by the NIMH Director in his 2012 year-ending blog as one of the major advances in mental health in 2012 and by one of the most influential figures in psychiatry and anthropology, Arthur Kleinman, as the exciting future of academic psychiatry (Br J Psychiatry, December 2012). The scope of the book is to cover two major aspects of the field: its scientific foundations and its practice and opens with an original account charting the history of the field from antiquity to its most recent developments. The language and content is geared towards a wide audience of practitioners and students of global mental health, including those who do not have any previous training in a clinical mental health specialty. This textbook, edited by four of the field's most widely acknowledged champions, with 20 chapters authored by over 30 global leaders of the field from diverse institutions and countries, is aimed to be the definitive text of this dynamic new discipline.

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9780199920181

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This is a book that lends itself to public health action. It's a great alternative to the decades that focused on classification and diagnosis, thus keeping mental health thinking focused on 'medical treatments' instead of prevention. * Public Health Today * There seems very little in the realm of worldwide considerations of mental health that this excellent textbook does not cover in a readable and evidence-informed way. I imagine it will become the bible of global mental health and therefore essential reading for practitioners in that field. Occupational health practitioners will find much of interest and certainly something of relevance to their work within its pages. * Occupational Medicine * This volume is a welcome addition to the literature on global mental health. It is likely to be informative to both students, and practitioners. * Samuel O. Okpaku, MD, PHD; Journal of Clinical psychiatry 76:8, August 2015 *

As the world moves into an era of sustainable development, spectacular reductions in mortality have encouraged a radical shift in perspective-away from mere survival and towards healthy wellbeing. The post-2015 global health agenda will be shaped by a broader view of what it is to be human. GlobalMental Health provides the foundation for a new vision of humanity. --Richard Horton, MD, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet If we truly aspire to address the burden of illness from neglected conditions, promote health equity, build integrated primary health care systems, and support economic development, then we must address mental health and mental disorders. Global Mental Health: Principles and Practice provides a roadmap, defining key strategies to address mental disorders in low-income regions. Written by some of our leading experts and advocates, it will be the authoritative reference on important topics in global mental health. Strategies exist to close the mental health resource gap in low-income regions: both novel platforms and funding mechanisms for the strengthening of health systems have made possible the integration of mental health care services into global health programs. This essential text shows us how to do just that. --Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, Harvard University, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Partners in Health Until recent times, mental health was one of the lowest priorities on the global health agenda. Data on the serious disease burden caused by mental illness and the recognition that it is now possible to address mental disorders, even at the community level, has finally given mental health the attention it deserves. As a result, there is now worldwide consensus of the need to provide financial and human resources commensurate with the magnitude and impact of the problem.Vikram Patel is an indisputable leader in the field and he and his colleague have written the first textbook on global mental health with contr

Author Information

Vikram Patel is a psychiatrist who has devoted his professional career to research, building capacity and influencing policy towards the goal of improving access to evidence based care for people with mental disorders. He is based in India from where he works with academic institutions, NGOs and Ministries of Health in India and other developing countries. Harry Minas is a psychiatrist whose work is in three broad areas: mental health system development, particularly in low-resource and post-conflict settings; culture and mental health, with a focus on mental health of immigrant and refugee communities and the development of services for culturally diverse societies; and the human rights of people with mental illness. Alex Cohen is an anthropologist with a long-standing interest in the mental health of populations, the organization of mental health services in low-income countries, and cross-national research in schizophrenia. During the past 12 years he has been involved in the establishment, development, and the curriculum development of global mental health programs at the University of Melbourne, Harvard Medical School, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Martin J. Prince is an epidemiological psychiatrist, whose international research on maternal depression and child growth and development, migration, gender disadvantage, self-harm and suicide includes a strong PhD student capacity building element. He leads the 10/66 Dementia Research group (ageing, dementia and chronic diseases in low and middle income countries).

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