The vast majority of the hundreds of millions of people with mental, neurological and substance use disorders (MNS) in the world do not have even their basic health care needs met. 80% of these people live in low and middle income countries, but when it comes to mental health ‘all countries are developing’. Global Mental Health is the discipline concerned with addressing this public health crisis, both in low income countries, and in higher income countries.
Our mission
Our mission is to address inequity by closing the treatment gap, and to reduce human rights abuses experienced by people living with mental, neurological and substance use conditions, particularly in low resource settings.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be a world leading centre in Global Mental Health, fostering research and capacity building in policy, prevention, treatment and care, and access to rights for people with mental, neurological and substance abuse conditions.
While access to affordable, effective treatment is a problem in all world regions, the focus of the Centre’s work is on poorer countries, where health systems are greatly under-resourced, and populations particularly under-served. However, it is increasingly recognised that there is disparity within countries as well as across countries, and that solutions in one part of the world might inform improved practice elsewhere. High income settings have much to learn from low income settings as well as in the other direction. Our vision reflects the call to action of the landmark 2007 Lancet Series on Global Mental Health and the perspectives of the Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health, both of which members of the Centre for Global Mental Health led and participated in.
Our Approach
CGMH's significant policy impact contributes to the growing global commitment to develop, evaluate, and scale up promotion, prevention and treatment for mental disorders.
You can find out about the CGMH's approach in our projects and teaching and training pages within the website.We also provide links to CGMH news and events, and some useful CGMH resources, including our publications, and seminar recordings.
Partners
The Centre for Global Mental Health (CGMH), launched on October 9th 2009, is a collaboration between the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and King’s Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre, including the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), SLAM and our KCL and NHS Trust partners. It aims to build on the existing collaborations and complementary strengths of these two institutions to foster research and training as a contribution to strengthening Global Mental Health.
The Centre is jointly led by Professor Ricardo Araya at King’s Health Partners, and Dr Ritz Kakuma and Dr Julian Eaton at LSHTM. Grace Ryan and Dr Arlinda Cerga-Pashoja at LSHTM are Deputy Directors, and Dr Melanie Abas at King's Health Partners is Deputy Director.