Guidance on mental health policy and strategic action plans
2026
The included studies reported implemented problems of HICs between the 1970s and 1990s mostly on domains of service organizing and service provision, which was closely related to their shift towards community mental health care at that time. In 2000s, the community-oriented policy was accepted as a trend in MLICs; countries like South Africa and Uganda had comprehensive mental health policies covering all nine domains. There were international comparative reviews on mental health legislation in the 1950s, 1970s and in 1995 7–9, as well as reviews of mental health policy in individual countries or certain regions 3, 10–13.
Strategic Plan Goals
Despite the importance of mental health policy, centuries of developments and active promotion by international organizations, by 2011 only 60% of member countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) possessed IHS California Behavioral Health Resources their own mental health policies, only 71% had mental health plans and just 59% had legislation on mental health. Process for developing, implementing, and evaluating mental health policy and strategic action plans proposes an inclusive, country-led process that prioritizes and tailors policy options and strategic planning to national contexts. This new Guidance supports governments in assessing how sector mandates, policies, and plans affect mental health, and provides practical steps to integrate mental health and well-being into the development, implementation, and evaluation of sectoral policies.
Modules
- Since the beginning of Russia’s war withUkraine, CMHTs have provided over 23,000 consultations, reaching more than1,400 people with severe mental disorders.
- Similarly, inGhana, the Ministry of Health’s allocation for mental health has been raisedfrom 1.0% to 1.4% of its annual budget.
- Explore the NIMH grant application process, including how to write your grant, how to submit your grant, and how the review process works.
- As of 2013, behavioral health disorders became the most expensive healthcare category in the USA .
- Most notably, it is striking that only two countries have explicitly articulated their intention to increase funding for mental health.
- MHPPs would benefit from clearer reporting on concrete activities including actionable plans with defined key stakeholders or implementing bodies, as well as clear reporting within MHPPs on human and financial resource availability and allocation.
However, deinstitutionalization, but without sufficient community mental health care to take over discharged patients, once hampered service availability, accessibility and response to certain populations like the severely ill. Between the late 1940s and the 1980s, some MLICs developed their own mental health policies and sporadically discussed service organizing, provision, quality and legislation. Most MLICs have a shorter history of mental health policy and experienced a boom of development in the 1990s and 2000s.
Expanding talking therapies services in line with the mental health strategy – impact assessment This strategy sets out 6 shared objectives to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the nation, and to improve outcomes for people with mental health problems through high quality services. As such, the purpose of the advocacy strategy is to better consolidate and articulate critical directions and domains of change with respect to public health policy and practice at the regional and global levels, with a view to bringing about national transformation. To complement and support this integrated approach, WHO has also developed an advocacy strategy for mental health, brain health and substance use. By recognizing how mental health, brain health and substance use are linked to each other and to other areas of health and well-being, policymakers, health service providers and other stakeholders can work towards achieving sustainable development and ensuring the well-being of all.
The plans and policies are then envisaged to be implemented by local health authorities and service providers. Finally, eight countries have developed a long-term mental health plan spanning 10 or more years. In 2020, 34 out of 43 (79%) countries with a mental health plan had established such indicators or targets.
Decision: Methods and tools to assess implementation of mental health policies and plans: A systematic review — R1/PR11
Workplace mental health initiatives are vital for fostering a healthy and supportive environment. Community programs that encourage social interactions, such as support groups, peer mentoring, and group activities, help individuals build meaningful connections, combat isolation, and share experiences. Such initiatives not only reduce vulnerability to mental health disorders but also foster a culture of emotional well-being and resilience . Promoting healthy lifestyles is a key strategy for enhancing mental well-being and preventing mental health disorders. By prioritizing early detection and targeted interventions, these programs not only reduce the burden of mental health disorders but also empower individuals to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives .
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