Why do we need mental health policy?

Written mental health policy:

•Provides a general blueprint for addressing the mental health needs of a country or region

•It gives priority to mental health in a context of competing needs

•It helps to develop mental health services in a coordinated, systematic manner

•It identifies key stakeholders and facilitates their participation

•It also allows different stakeholders to reach agreement

An explicit mental health policy is therefore an essential and powerful tool for the mental health section in a Ministry of Health. When properly formulated and implemented through plans and programmes, policy can have a significant impact on the mental health of the population. Some of the outcomes described in the literature are better organization and quality of service delivery, accessibility, community care, engagement of people with mental disorders and their caregivers, and improvement on several indicators of mental health.