Global Mental Health 2 Resources for mental health strongscarcitystrong,.pdfVIP

Series Global Mental Health 2 Resources for mental health: scarcity, inequity, and inefficiency Shekhar Saxena, Graham Thornicroft, Martin Knapp, Harvey Whiteford Lancet 2007; 370: 878–89 Resources for mental health include policy and infrastructure within countries, mental health services, community Published Online resources, human resources, and funding. We discuss here the general availability of these resources, especially in September 4, 2007 low-income and middle-income countries. Government spending on mental health in most of the relevant countries is DOI:10.1016/S0140- far lower than is needed, based on the proportionate burden of mental disorders and the availability of cost-eff ective and 6736(07)61239-2 aff ordable interventions. The poorest countries spend the lowest percentages of their overall health budgets on mental This is the second in a Series of six papers about global mental health. Most care is now institutionally based, and the transition to community care would require additional funds that health have not been made available in most countries. Human resources available for mental health care in most low-income See Comment page 806 and and middle-income countries are very limited, and shortages are likely to persist. Not only are resources for mental page 810 health scarce, they are also inequitably distributed—between countries, between regions, and within communities. World Health Organization, Populations with high rates of socioeconomic deprivation have the highest need for mental health care, but the lowest Geneva, Switzerland access to it. Stigma abou