WHO launches new mental health guidance: 3 things to know

In an Oct. 9 news release, the organization also said around the world, human rights abuses and coercive practices persist in mental healthcare. 

Here are three things to know about the new guidance: 

1. The WHO advises countries to promote community-based mental health. According to the organization, 43% of government mental health spending in high-income countries is directed to psychiatric hospitals, which are costlier and less accessible than community-based support. 
2. The organization drafted legislative guidelines designed to end coercive practices like involuntary restraint, forced treatment and seclusion in mental health services. 
3. The WHO created guidance based on the idea that mental health support is not the responsibility of the healthcare sector alone, but all policymakers. 

Read more here. 

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