Authors: Grace Ryan (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Valentina Iemmi (London School of Economics and Political Science), Fahmy Hanna (World Health Organization), Hannah Loryman (Sightsavers) and Julian Eaton (CBM International and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)
Mental health and well-being are included in the Sustainable Development Goals. Recent reports - such as the 2018 Lancet Commission - have emphasised that improving mental health as part of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda requires a coordinated, multisectoral response from development actors.
Unfortunately, many people working in international development don’t feel they have the basic mental health literacy that they need to start engaging with this topic. This Topic Guide is designed to introduce development professionals with limited prior exposure, to key issues in mental health and act as a primer for development professionals interested in learning more about the basics, specifically:
- What are some of the key concepts and definitions in mental health?
- Why has mental health emerged as a development priority in recent years?
- What is the current situation in LMICs?
- How does mental health intersect with other key areas of development?
- What is the current state of the evidence, and where are the gaps?
This is not a comprehensive report or a substitute for formal training in mental health. A list of additional learning opportunities and resources is provided for further study in section 7 of the Topic Guide.
