Global Mental Health in Action
World Mental Health Day is recognized annually with an overall objective to raise awareness about mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health. However, mental health and well-being are central to every individuals’ life and livelihood, every day. As an organization, that informs policy, practice and research at the unique intersection of human rights, social justice and behavioral health, the global recognition of World Mental Health Day as a day of international significance provides an opportunity to share more about the current context, what we are doing, and a continued call to action.
What does it take to build mental health systems and settings, that are accessible, sustainable, and rooted in the communities they serve? Exploring this question requires looking beyond individual interventions to consider how community-based care, cross-sector integration, and stronger support systems can help narrow the mental health treatment gap. It also requires a focus on broadening the understanding of mental health across the continuum from prevention and promotion through to recovery. This blog post describes a recent conversation focused on Uganda, offering an opportunity to examine these issues in practice.
The Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice’s Global Mental Health Committee hosted a live conversation focused on mental health support through system- and community-based care in Uganda, in the summer. The conversation was moderated by Ruta Rangel, Co-Chair of the Global Mental Health Committee, and featured Daniel Lubanga and Ryan Fowler from The Carter Center, as well as Jackson Mugazi from the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The discussion highlighted the importance of integrating mental health into broader health, protection, livelihood, and legal support systems. Mr. Mugazi shared how the Norwegian Refugee Council embeds mental health support within refugee protection programming, including information, counseling, legal assistance, livelihood support, and referral pathways for individuals with higher levels of need. Mr. Daniel Lubanga described The Carter Center’s work with Uganda’s Ministry of Health to strengthen mental health systems, including efforts to decentralize care by training specialists and non-specialists, supporting crisis intervention training for law enforcement, and expanding community-based mental health services. Speakers emphasized that Uganda continues to face major mental health workforce gaps, with limited numbers of psychiatrists available for a large population. Because people live and function within communities, the speakers highlighted the importance of building community-based systems that can support individuals with mental health needs. Rather than creating stand-alone mental health programs, mental health support can be integrated into existing initiatives, such as livelihood programs, protection services, and law enforcement, while also training non-specialists to provide basic mental health support. This approach can help narrow the gap between people who need care and those available to provide it, especially because training mental health specialists requires considerable time and resources. Non-specialists represent a more accessible workforce that can deliver low-intensity mental health support within communities and refer individuals with more complex or severe needs to higher levels of care.
The speakers also noted that stigma, reliance on informal or unregulated providers, and reduced donor funding continue to shape access to care. At the same time, the conversation highlighted encouraging shifts: mental health is increasingly understood as both a health and social issue, communities are seeking more culturally relevant services, and there is growing recognition that mental health support can be delivered across different levels of care. Despite significant reductions in international funding for global mental health, local governments are increasingly taking greater ownership of addressing the mental health needs of their communities. This includes integrating mental health services into existing programs and initiatives, while also identifying domestic funding within government budgets to reduce reliance on international donors.
One key lesson focused on the conditions needed for successful implementation. Mental health interventions must be adapted to the local culture and context, with clearly defined roles and career pathways for both specialists and non-specialists. Training is only the beginning of the learning process. Ongoing supervision is essential to reinforce skills, support continued learning, maintain quality of care, and reduce burnout risk among both specialists and non-specialists. Finally, demonstrating how mental health support contributes to broader health, social, and community outcomes can help strengthen the case for sustained investment and integration.
A broader takeaway from the discussion is that reducing the mental health treatment gap requires more than implementing a single intervention. Sustainable impact depends on building a supportive system around the intervention, including adaptation to the local context, embedded supervision, and clear referral pathways for individuals who require higher levels of care.
As next steps, the Global Mental Health Committee will create spaces for shared learning among organizations working at the intersection of mental health, humanitarian response, and social justice. The committee will also explore opportunities to elevate community-based approaches, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and identify practical strategies to support sustainable mental health systems in Uganda and beyond.
If you are interested in the Global Mental Health Committee and would like to explore opportunities to contribute to its work, please reach out to us at this email address: gro.e1790955453citsu1790955453jhb@e1790955453crofk1790955453sat1790955453.