Lancet series revisits issue of global mental health four years after first examination

Four years after the Lancet "published a special series on global mental health, highlighting the gap in provision between rich countries and the rest of the world," the journal has published a new series, including an "editorial accompanying the series, welcom[ing] the initiatives in global mental health in the past four years, but [saying] 'there is still a long way to go and many challenges to face,'" IRIN reports (10/18).

"One of the things the new studies show is that different treatments work, but they have to be selected carefully," and "[t]here are ... signs that show mental illnesses are struggling to get the attention of funders," according to NPR's health blog "Shots" (Silberner, 10/17). The executive summary of the series notes that the six paper topics "were chosen after consultation with the Movement for Global Mental Health, an international coalition of professionals and the public that is committed to improving access to mental health care and promoting the human rights of people affected by mental illness worldwide" (10/17).