Improving health systems and services for mental health (2009)

Key messages

• Mental disorders affect 1 in 4 people around the world.
• The burden of mental disorders could be largely prevented with known, affordable treatments, but inadequate health systems limit progress.
• This document describes a comprehensive strategy for how to improve mental health policy and service development.
• By using this strategy as a guide, countries can ensure that their mental health systems are not haphazard, but rather, the products of careful consideration and planning.