In the context of national efforts to promote mental health, it is essential not only to protect and promote the mental well-being of the entire population, but also to address the needs of people with mental disorders.
This should be addressed through community-based mental health care, as it is more accessible and acceptable to the population than inpatient care, helps to prevent human rights violations and leads to better outcomes for mental disorders. Community-based mental health care should be embedded in a continuum of linked services:
- Mental health services integrated into the general health care system, usually operating at the general hospital level and in a task-sharing arrangement involving non-specialized primary care providers;
- Community mental health services, which may include community mental health centers and teams, psychosocial rehabilitation services, support groups, and foster care services;
- services providing mental health services in social care and non-medical settings such as child protection services, school health services and prison settings.
- The huge gap in care for common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders makes it necessary for countries to find innovative ways to diversify and scale up care for such conditions, for example through non-specialized psychological counselling or self-help using digital platforms.