Providing Sustainable Mental and Neurological Health Care in Ghana and Kenya

Providing Sustainable Mental and Neurological Health Care in Ghana and Kenya
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 247
Release: 2016-02-25
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309377676

Mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders have a substantial impact on global health and well-being. Disorders such as depression, alcohol abuse, and schizophrenia constitute about 13 percent of the total burden of disease. Worldwide, MNS disorders are the leading cause of disability, and the 10th leading cause of death. Despite this high burden, there is a significant shortage of resources available to prevent, diagnose, and treat MNS disorders. Approximately four out of five people with serious MNS disorders living in low- and middle-income countries do not receive needed health services. This treatment gap is particularly high in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Challenges to MNS care in SSA countries include a lack of trained mental health professionals, few mental health facilities, and low prioritization for MNS disorders in budget allocations. African countries, on average, have one psychiatrist for every 2 million people, whereas European countries have one psychiatrist per 12,000 people. Expanding on previous efforts to address the development and improvement of sustainable mental health systems in SSA, the Institute of Medicine convened this 2015 workshop series, bringing together key stakeholders to examine country-specific opportunities to improve the health care infrastructure in order to better prevent, diagnose, and treat MNS disorders. Providing Sustainable Mental and Neurological Health Care in Ghana and Kenya summarizes the presentations and discussions from these workshops.

Neurological, Psychiatric, and Developmental Disorders

Neurological, Psychiatric, and Developmental Disorders
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 458
Release: 2001-01-01
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309170931

Brain disordersâ€"neurological, psychiatric, and developmentalâ€"now affect at least 250 million people in the developing world, and this number is expected to rise as life expectancy increases. Yet public and private health systems in developing countries have paid relatively little attention to brain disorders. The negative attitudes, prejudice, and stigma that often surround many of these disorders have contributed to this neglect. Lacking proper diagnosis and treatment, millions of individual lives are lost to disability and death. Such conditions exact both personal and economic costs on families, communities, and nations. The report describes the causes and risk factors associated with brain disorders. It focuses on six representative brain disorders that are prevalent in developing countries: developmental disabilities, epilepsy, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and stroke. The report makes detailed recommendations of ways to reduce the toll exacted by these six disorders. In broader strokes, the report also proposes six major strategies toward reducing the overall burden of brain disorders in the developing world.

Epilepsy Across the Spectrum

Epilepsy Across the Spectrum
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 568
Release: 2012-07-29
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309259533

Although epilepsy is one of the nation's most common neurological disorders, public understanding of it is limited. Many people do not know the causes of epilepsy or what they should do if they see someone having a seizure. Epilepsy is a complex spectrum of disorders that affects an estimated 2.2 million Americans in a variety of ways, and is characterized by unpredictable seizures that differ in type, cause, and severity. Yet living with epilepsy is about much more than just seizures; the disorder is often defined in practical terms, such as challenges in school, uncertainties about social situations and employment, limitations on driving, and questions about independent living. The Institute of Medicine was asked to examine the public health dimensions of the epilepsies, focusing on public health surveillance and data collection; population and public health research; health policy, health care, and human services; and education for people with the disorder and their families, health care providers, and the public. In Epilepsy Across the Spectrum, the IOM makes recommendations ranging from the expansion of collaborative epilepsy surveillance efforts, to the coordination of public awareness efforts, to the engagement of people with epilepsy and their families in education, dissemination, and advocacy for improved care and services. Taking action across multiple dimensions will improve the lives of people with epilepsy and their families. The realistic, feasible, and action-oriented recommendations in this report can help enable short- and long-term improvements for people with epilepsy. For all epilepsy organizations and advocates, local, state, and federal agencies, researchers, health care professionals, people with epilepsy, as well as the public, Epilepsy Across the Spectrum is an essential resource.

Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 4)

Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 4)
Author: Vikram Patel
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2016-03-10
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1464804281

Mental, neurological, and substance use disorders are common, highly disabling, and associated with significant premature mortality. The impact of these disorders on the social and economic well-being of individuals, families, and societies is large, growing, and underestimated. Despite this burden, these disorders have been systematically neglected, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, with pitifully small contributions to scaling up cost-effective prevention and treatment strategies. Systematically compiling the substantial existing knowledge to address this inequity is the central goal of this volume. This evidence-base can help policy makers in resource-constrained settings as they prioritize programs and interventions to address these disorders.

Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders

Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 171
Release: 2016-09-03
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309439124

Estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 4 Americans will experience a mental health problem or will misuse alcohol or drugs in their lifetimes. These disorders are among the most highly stigmatized health conditions in the United States, and they remain barriers to full participation in society in areas as basic as education, housing, and employment. Improving the lives of people with mental health and substance abuse disorders has been a priority in the United States for more than 50 years. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 is considered a major turning point in America's efforts to improve behavioral healthcare. It ushered in an era of optimism and hope and laid the groundwork for the consumer movement and new models of recovery. The consumer movement gave voice to people with mental and substance use disorders and brought their perspectives and experience into national discussions about mental health. However over the same 50-year period, positive change in American public attitudes and beliefs about mental and substance use disorders has lagged behind these advances. Stigma is a complex social phenomenon based on a relationship between an attribute and a stereotype that assigns undesirable labels, qualities, and behaviors to a person with that attribute. Labeled individuals are then socially devalued, which leads to inequality and discrimination. This report contributes to national efforts to understand and change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that can lead to stigma and discrimination. Changing stigma in a lasting way will require coordinated efforts, which are based on the best possible evidence, supported at the national level with multiyear funding, and planned and implemented by an effective coalition of representative stakeholders. Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change explores stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with mental or substance use disorders and recommends effective strategies for reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek treatment and other supportive services. It offers a set of conclusions and recommendations about successful stigma change strategies and the research needed to inform and evaluate these efforts in the United States.

Disease and Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa

Disease and Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa
Author: Dean T. Jamison
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 414
Release: 2006-01-01
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0821363980

Current data and trends in morbidity and mortality for the sub-Saharan Region as presented in this new edition reflect the heavy toll that HIV/AIDS has had on health indicators, leading to either a stalling or reversal of the gains made, not just for communicable disorders, but for cancers, as well as mental and neurological disorders.

MhGAP Humanitarian Intervention Guide (mhGAP-HIG)

MhGAP Humanitarian Intervention Guide (mhGAP-HIG)
Author: World Health Organization
Publisher: World Health Organization
Total Pages: 68
Release: 2015-05-20
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 9241548924

The mhGAP Intervention Guide (IG) is a clinical guide on mental neurological and substance use disorders for general health care workers who work in non-specialized health care settings particularly in low- and middle-income countries. These health care workers include general physicians family physicians nurses and clinical officers. The mhGAP programme provides a range of tools to support the work of health care providers as well as health policy makers and planners The proposed guide is an adaptation of the mhGAP Intervention Guide to be used in humanitarian settings. These settings include a broad range of acute and chronic emergency situations arising from armed conflicts natural disasters and industrial disasters and may include mass displacement of populations (eg refugees and/or internally displaced people).

Advocacy for Mental Health

Advocacy for Mental Health
Author: World Health Organization
Publisher: World Health Organization
Total Pages: 67
Release: 2003
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 9241545909

This volume is part of a series of publications which contain practical guidance to assist policy-makers and planners in member countries with policy development to address public mental health needs and service provision. This volume highlights the importance of advocacy in mental health policy and service development, a relatively new concept, aimed at reducing stigma and discrimination, and promoting the human rights of people with mental disorders. It considers the roles of various mental health groups in advocacy and sets out practical steps for implementation, indicating how governments can support advocacy services. The full package of eight volumes in the series is also available (ISBN 0119894173).

Essentials of Global Mental Health

Essentials of Global Mental Health
Author: Samuel O. Okpaku
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 469
Release: 2014-02-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1107022320

Defines an approach to mental healthcare focused on achieving international equity in coverage, options and outcomes.

Global Mental Health

Global Mental Health
Author: Vikram Patel
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 511
Release: 2013-11
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0199920184

This is the definitive textbook on global mental health, an emerging priority discipline within global health, which places priority on improving mental health and achieving equity in mental health for all people worldwide.