Citation

Rahman A, Naslund JA, Betancourt TS, Black CJ, Bhan A, Byansi W, Chen H, Gaynes BN, Restrepo CG, Gouveia L, Hamdani SU, Marsch LA, Petersen I, Bahar OS, Shields-Zeeman L, Ssewamala F, Wainberg ML. Lancet Psychiatry 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30347-3

PMID

32846142

Abstract

The world faced substantial challenges in meeting the demands for mental health care, even before the emergence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). With the havoc caused by the pandemic and the impending impact on economies, social structures, and health systems, a global mental health crisis is arising. The Director-General of the UN forecast this situation in a policy brief on May 13, 2020, stating, "The mental health and wellbeing of whole societies have been severely impacted by this crisis and are a priority to be addressed urgently." Three critical actions were recommended: apply a whole-of-society approach to promote, protect, and care for mental health; ensure widespread availability of emergency mental health and psychosocial support; and support recovery from COVID-19 by developing mental health services for the future.

In a field that is chronically underfunded and ignored by most policy makers, especially in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), taking action is not easy. Upwards of 90% of people with mental health conditions receive no treatment in LMICs. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, and given the likelihood of even fewer resources dedicated to mental health services, questions arise about whether it will be feasible to implement the UN's recommendations in the coming years...

Language: en