Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders

Resumen de los autores

Executive summary Background and objectivesMental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders are major contributors to morbidity and premature mortality in all regions of the world.The resources that have been provided to tackle the huge burden of MNS disorders are insufficient, inequitably distributed and inefficiently used, resulting in a large treatment gap.To reduce the treatment gap and to enhance the capacity of countries to respond to the growing challenge, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed and launched (in 2008) the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP): scaling up care for MNS disorders.An essential component of mhGAP is the evidence-based guideline for MNS disorders identified as conditions of high priority for low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).These recommendations were first published in 2010 as part of the mhGAP intervention guide, and they were updated in the 2015 mhGAP guideline.There has been a rapid expansion in the use of mhGAP since 2015 with the guideline and derivate products -especially the 2016 intervention guide -now used in more than 100 countries and translated into more than 20 languages.The mhGAP guideline update aims to: ▶ provide up-to-date WHO guidance to facilitate delivery of MNS interventions by non-specialist health workers in LMICs; ▶ assist with the scale-up of care for MNS disorders identified as conditions of high priority in LMICs; and ▶ facilitate implementation of WHO action plans including the Comprehensive mental health action plan 2021-2030, the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022-2031, the Global action plan on the public health response to dementia 2017-2025, and the Global alcohol action plan 2022-2030 by health-care planners and programme managers in LMICs.

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Cómo citar (APA 7)

World Health Organization (2025). Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders. World Health Organization. https://doi.org/10.2471/b09329