The World Health Organization released a comprehensive report detailing its latest strategies to improve behavioral health worldwide. The document identifies urgent, system-level gaps, underscores the need for sustained investment in mental health services and calls on governments to embed behavioral health into primary care systems.
Here are four things to know:
- The report reinforces the need to reduce reliance on psychiatric hospitals. WHO recommends reallocating funds to primary care, community services and crisis response. This aligns with U.S. trends emphasizing crisis stabilization units, mobile response teams and behavioral health integration.
- WHO calls for scaling training programs for psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and peer support specialists. The report recommends training the general health workforce in mental health to further establish integration throughout the national health system.
- Many countries lack reliable reporting on behavioral health outcomes and service availability. WHO recommends integrating mental health indicators into national health information systems.
- The report urges governments to eliminate coercive practices and adopt legislation that protects the rights of people with mental health conditions.
Read the full report here.
