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June 2023
Message from the Director
As we cross the halfway mark of 2023, we’re reminded of the many communities affected by war, conflict and natural disasters — including the recent Türkiye and Syria earthquakes and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Affected communities experience profound distress and good-quality mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) is essential for their recovery. In response, our department rolled-out the new MHPSS Coordination Handbook that facilitated the delivery of a coordinated, multisectoral MHPSS response following the earthquake in Syria. We also worked to streamline the ongoing humanitarian response in Ukraine by leveraging a new innovative tool: the MHPSS Minimum Service Package which outlines the basic MHPSS activities that should be implemented in emergency settings across health, protection, education and other sectors. Furthermore, recognizing that displacement and migration often impact people’s physical and mental health and well-being—especially for those who were forced to flee their homes—we launched a Refugee and Migrant Health Toolkit, earlier this year, that is a one-stop resource for strengthening refugee and migrant health care in alignment with priority actions.
Our department also launched an innovative product — Global Scales for Early Development (GSED) — which enables us to comprehensively assess the development of young children up to 36 months of age, capturing cognitive, socio-emotional, language and motor skills. This tool will help countries, programmes and researchers gather and use data on early childhood development to better invest in services and support needed for young children and their families.
I’d like to close by highlighting how our Special Initiative for Mental health is transforming national mental health systems and demonstrating best practices that other countries can learn from. A mid-term review of the Initiative’s progress highlights important advancements in national mental health policies and increased provision of services for people living with mental health conditions. As a result, nearly 6 million more girls, boys, women and men have access to mental health and psychosocial support services in their communities and more than 5,500 individuals have been trained in providing mental health services.
— Dévora Kestel, Director, Department of Mental Health and Substance Use
WHO rolls out new holistic way to measure early childhood development
Our department also launched an innovative product — Global Scales for Early Development (GSED) — enabling holistic assessment of the development of young children up to 36 months of age, capturing cognitive, socio-emotional, language and motor skills at population and programmatic level through a single metric (the developmental score, D-score). This package will help countries, programmes and researchers gather and use data to monitor early childhood development and progress towards policy targets as well as better invest in services and support needed for young children and their families. The package is currently being tested for use as a screener to identify individual children with neurodevelopmental impairments.
New publication: UNICEF and WHO joint programme on mental health and psychosocial well-being and development of children and adolescents
Building on their respective expertise and experience, UNICEF and WHO are working together to accelerate action for children and adolescents’ mental health and psychosocial well-being and development through a Joint Programme and launched a new publication at the close of 2022. The UNICEF and WHO joint programme on mental health and psychosocial well-being and development of children and adolescents: global case for support is designed to be a one-stop document providing succinct and relevant information on the Joint Programme for external and internal audiences, particularly potential partners.
Transforming national mental health systems: best practices from the WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health
The WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health is on its way to achieving its target: ensuring one hundred million people across nine participating countries have access to affordable, quality mental health services. A mid-term review of the Initiative’s progress highlights important advancements in national mental health policies and increased provision of services for people living with mental health conditions. By involving senior leadership across countries, training the health workforce and rolling-out new mental health services—the WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health has placed a spotlight on this often-neglected area of public health and supported countries to take action.
Scaling-up mental health and psychosocial services in war-affected regions: best practices from Ukraine
Ukraine’s current mental health situation is mirrored across other regions affected by protracted conflicts and war. WHO expects that approximately 9.6 million people in Ukraine may have a mental health condition. Ensuring appropriate services are immediately available in complex emergencies will help to address a wide range of peoples' pre-existing and emerging mental health and psychosocial needs, as well as support the healing and rebuilding of affected communities. Efforts in Ukraine have already bolstered the capacity of health personnel and community mechanisms to provide quality MHPSS, and streamlined humanitarian responses in the country.
Small Island Developing States accelerate action to tackle biggest killers — including mental health
In January this year, the Government of Barbados, WHO and the Pan American Health Organization held a high-level technical meeting on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health with Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The discussion focussed on progress, challenges, and opportunities to scale up multi-sector actions on NCDs and mental health and to set out recommendations to scale up actions that save and improve lives. SIDS countries are disproportionately exposed to the impact of the climate crisis on both physical and mental health. Rates of mental health conditions reach as high as 15% in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Furthermore, in recognition of the high burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health in small island developing states (SIDS) countries, WHO, PAHO and the Government of Barbados convened ministers from SIDS countries and partner organizations at the SIDS Ministerial Conference which was held from 14–16 June 2023 in Bridgetown, Barbados. Taking place ahead of the UN General Assembly High-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage in September 2023, this conference will feed into preparatory processes leading to the fourth High-level meeting on NCDs in 2025 and to future global summits on mental health.
Download publication: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240072213
Read about the 2023 Bridgetown Declaration on NCDs and Mental Health
Delivering effective and accountable mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) during emergencies and beyond
Good-quality mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) is essential for the recovery of those caught up in emergency situations. But in order to be effective and accountable, MHPSS in emergencies must be well coordinated to avoid duplication and the inefficient use of scarce resources, and designed and delivered with local responders and affected communities. WHO’s MHPSS Coordination Handbook strengthened collaboration between WHO and its partners in Syria, allowing for the delivery of a coordinated, multisectoral MHPSS response following the devastating earthquakes, earlier this year. The MHPSS Handbook builds on best practices from past emergencies, and provides tools and resources to promote better coordination, including through the integration of local agencies and partners, and by the overall promotion of an equitable, multisectoral approach.
WHO launches a MHPSS Minimum Service Package
In December 2022, WHO, in partnership with other IASC members, released the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Minimum Service Package (MHPSS MSP) an intersectoral package that outlines a set of activities that are considered to be of the highest priority in meeting the needs of emergency-affected populations, based on existing guidelines, available evidence and expert consensus. The MSP is designed for humanitarian actors who plan, support, coordinate, implement and evaluate humanitarian activities within and across sectors. It outlines the basic MHPSS activities that should be implemented in emergency settings across health, protection, education and other sectors.
One-stop resource toolkit launched on refugee and migrant health
WHO launched a Refugee and migrant health toolkit in January this year. The Toolkit provides key tools and resources to support efforts in strengthening refugee and migrant health care in alignment with the priority actions in the GAP; these can then be quickly and easily accessed to guide action. Migration and displacement often impact people’s physical and mental health and well-being, especially for those who were forced to flee their homes. It is therefore essential for countries to have strong and inclusive health systems equipped with the necessary knowledge and tools to help decision-makers and health personnel meet the health needs and rights of these populations and advance the health and migration agenda.
WHO warns of risks associated with use of valproic acid (sodium valproate) in women and girls of childbearing potential
WHO issued a safety statement to alert stakeholders to the revised guidance on the use of valproic acid (sodium valproate) for the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder in women and girls of childbearing potential contained in addenda to the mhGAP intervention guide (mhGAP-IG) and mhGAP humanitarian intervention guide (mhGAP-HIG).
Supporting people living with dementia in Malaysia
It is estimated that around 8.5% of older adults or roughly 260 000 people in Malaysia are living with dementia. Since dementia is a progressive disease, over time a person may need support in their daily activities. As day centres are scarce in Malaysia, many families continue to look after their loved ones at home. In some cases, families are not able to provide the support that is needed. WHO therefore collaborated with the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation Malaysia to provide Dementia Care Skills training for caregivers from various organizations and facilities in Malaysia, including Dilgeet and Nur Atikah. The training covers knowledge areas, such as behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, person-centred care, and advanced care planning, as well as practical skills like effective communication, meaningful engagement, and dealing with challenging behaviours.
Download the WHO Training and support manual for carers of people with dementia
World Mental Health Day 2023:
Mental health is a universal human right
Campaign slogan: Mental health is a universal human right
Hashtag: #WorldMentalHealthDay
This year’s World Mental Health Day campaign (WMHD2023) advocates for mental health as a universal human right. The theme aligns well with WHO’s vision of a world where:
- mental health is valued, promoted, and protected;
- mental health conditions are prevented and where anyone and everyone can exercise their full range of human rights and access the high quality, timely and culturally appropriate health and social care they need and deserve; and
- everyone has the chance to achieve the highest possible level of health and to participate fully in society free from stigma and discrimination.
Everyone has a right to mental health. Everyone deserves the chance to thrive.
