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Review
. 2017 Mar 28:10:1178632917694350.
doi: 10.1177/1178632917694350. eCollection 2017.

Mental Health Service Provision in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Shanaya Rathod  1 , Narsimha Pinninti  2 , Muhammed Irfan  3 , Paul Gorczynski  4 , Pranay Rathod  5 , Lina Gega  6 , Farooq Naeem  7
Affiliations
Review

Mental Health Service Provision in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Shanaya Rathod et al. Health Serv Insights. .

Abstract

This article discusses the provision of mental health services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with a view to understanding the cultural dynamics-how the challenges they pose can be addressed and the opportunities harnessed in specific cultural contexts. The article highlights the need for prioritisation of mental health services by incorporating local population and cultural needs. This can be achieved only through political will and strengthened legislation, improved resource allocation and strategic organisation, integrated packages of care underpinned by professional communication and training, and involvement of patients, informal carers, and the wider community in a therapeutic capacity.

Keywords: Mental health services; low- and middle-income countries; service provision.

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Conflict of interest statement

DECLARATION OF CONFLICTING INTERESTS: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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