The Movement for Global Mental Health (www.globalmentalhealth.org) incorporates not only key figures from The Lancet Series, but was expanded to include greater representation of users, women, and civil society worldwide. The authors say:
"The movement is not an organisation. It has no constitution, no office, no board of governors, and no budgets. Anybody and any organisation can join the movement; all that is required is support for the specific goals of scaling up services for and protecting the human rights of people living with mental disorders."
The movement has proposed five priority actions:
- covering global advocacy
- systems of development including specific care packages
- research promotion
- capacity building
- monitoring of progress of countries in scaling up mental-health care
The authors conclude:
"The network of individuals and organizations committed to these goals will be at the heart of the movement. Through the shared values and coordinated actions that harness the enormous motivation and creativity of the diverse stakeholders for mental health, the movement will seek to achieve its goals. Ultimately, we hope that substantial progress in scaling up services for people with mental disorders will take its place alongside progress in HIV/AIDS treatment and maternal and child survival as one the great public-health successes of our times."
An accompanying Editorial in this week's Lancet says:
"The Movement for Global Mental Health includes users, providers, scientists, institutions, civil society, and policy makers. The Movement is truly global and inclusive. Its website already shows the broad diversity of partners who have signed up to the Movement's call to action.
The next phase of the Movement is to scale up and widen the range of science being undertaken, develop advocacy efforts, attract more funding, and influence policy makers. A report card on progress will be given at a global mental-health summit to take place in Athens at the World Forum on Mental Health on Sept 2, 2009."
