Understanding global mental health: a conceptual review

Abstract

Background: Mental health disorders are viewed as a global concern requiring globally led approaches to address them. Since the publication of the 2007 Lancet series on global mental health (GMH), the term has become widespread. Over the last two decades, GMH has become increasingly affiliated with policy reform, academic courses, funding bodies and research. However, it is not always obvious how those working in the field of GMH are using the term, resulting in a lack of clarity. Therefore, work is needed to synthesise the current understanding(s) of GMH to help characterise its meaning.

Aim: To synthesise the literature and identify the different ways GMH is understood.

Method: A conceptual review, using a systematic search and a content analysis, was conducted to develop a conceptual framework of the different conceptual understandings of GMH.

Results: We developed a conceptual framework of four understandings of GMH. These understandings of GMH are as follows: an area of research generating findings to establish a GMH evidence-base; implementation of research into practice; improving the mental health environment; learning from and supporting low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs).

Conclusion: Our review proposes a simple framework, clarifying the key characteristics of the GMH landscape. The findings highlight the diversity of usage of the term in the literature, as well as present the wide scope that comprises the field of GMH. Referring to this framework may help those engaged with GMH to be more specific with which aspect of the field they are concerned with.

Keywords: mental health & psychiatry.

Figure 1

PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) flow diagram.

Figure 2

Venn diagram displaying all 347 papers and identified conceptualisations. LMICs, low-and-middle-income countries.