The WHO mental health policy and service guidance package

Overview

The package consists of a series of interrelated user-friendly modules that are designed to address the wide variety of needs and priorities in policy development and service planning. The topic of each module represents a core aspect of mental health.

Mental Health Policy, Plans and Programmes is a central module, providing detailed information about the process of developing policy and implementing it through plans and programmes. Following a reading of this module, countries may wish to focus on specific aspects of mental health covered in other modules.

The purpose of the guidance package is to assist policy-makers and planners to:

• develop policies and comprehensive strategies for improving the mental health of populations;
• use existing resources to achieve the greatest possible benefits;
• provide effective services to those in need;
• assist the reintegration of persons with mental disorders into all aspects of community life, thus improving their overall quality of life.