The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new guidance to help countries reform and enhance their mental health policies and systems.
In a statement on Wednesday, WHO emphasized that mental health services worldwide remain underfunded, with significant gaps in both access and quality of care. The organization revealed that in some countries, up to 90% of individuals with severe mental health conditions receive no care at all.
WHO also noted that many existing services rely on outdated institutional models that fail to meet international human rights standards.
A framework for mental health reform
According to WHO, the new guidance provides a framework for transforming mental health services, ensuring they are evidence-based, aligned with human rights standards, and accessible to all.
WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, emphasized that despite growing demand, quality mental health services remain inaccessible to many.
He stated, “This new guidance equips governments with the tools to promote and protect mental health, ensuring systems that serve everyone.”
Ghebreyesus noted that despite the availability of effective prevention and treatment methods, most people with mental health conditions still lack access to care.
Aligning policies with human rights standards
He emphasized that the new guidance aligns mental health policies and services with international human rights standards, promoting holistic care that integrates lifestyle, physical health, psychological, social, and economic interventions.
“The guidance outlines concrete actions to help countries bridge these gaps, ensuring that mental health is both promoted and protected, with a strong focus on upholding human rights,” he added.
- Ghebreyesus emphasized the need to address social and economic factors such as employment, housing, and education, which significantly impact mental health.
- He also stressed the importance of involving people with lived experience in policy planning and design.
“The guidance identifies five key policy areas requiring urgent reform: leadership and governance, service organization, workforce development, person-centred interventions, and addressing the social and structural determinants of mental health,” he stated.
- He noted that the guidance serves as a crucial tool for governments, policymakers, and stakeholders working to strengthen mental health systems and improve access to care.
“By providing a range of policy directives, strategies, and actions, it helps policymakers prioritize and tailor reforms based on their national context, available resources, and operational structures,” Ghebreyesus added.
WHO’s support for implementation
Dr. Michelle Funk, Unit Head for Policy, Law, and Human Rights in WHO’s Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, stated that the guidance offers practical strategies for countries to develop inclusive, responsive, and resilient mental health systems.
“Designed to be flexible, the guidance can be adapted by all countries—whether low-, middle-, or high-income—based on their specific needs and priorities,” she said.
Funk noted that the guidance was developed in collaboration with global experts, policymakers, and individuals with lived experience. It builds on resources and tools from WHO’s QualityRights initiative, which promotes a person-centred, recovery-oriented, and rights-based approach to mental health.
She added that WHO will support countries in implementing this guidance through technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives.
