Content Overview

Mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) do not attract local, national or global health policy attention, although accounting for a considerable burden of disease. The majority of people with mental disorders do not receive evidence-based care, leading to chronicity, suffering and increased costs of care. Strengthening care and services for people with mental disorders is a priority and needs additional investment in human resources and piggy backing on existing public health programmes. This course explores the different concepts of mental health, in their respective cultural settings and addresses programme planning for this much neglected field of health affecting very marginalised populations.

Course Topics

• GMH epidemiology and burden of disease
• GMH policy, strategy and service development
• Cultural aspects of GMH with a perspective on case definitions
• Needs assessment for GMH in crisis situation
• GMH and its manifestations: clinical cases
• Therapeutic approaches in GMH
• Anthropological concepts of GMH
• GMH case studies (from participants’ home countries)

Learning Objectives

This course aims to provide students with the necessary tools to develop and to successfully implement evidence-informed decisions in GMH. At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Critically analyse the epidemiology and social determinants of mental disorders globally and identify strategies to address the burden of disease
• To critically appraise examples of research and treatment/intervention models at regional level given different levels of resources