Psychiatric disorders

Psychiatric disorders account for about 13% of the global burden of diseases. Nearly 80% of people with mental disorders live in low- and middle-income countries. Bridging the mental health gap is an issue for many countries in the world. Accessibility to high-quality mental healthcare services for those who need them, improving mental health literacy, providing coordinated care to the masses, and addressing low priority given to mental health by policymakers are common issues faced by many countries. Even a developed country with high healthcare expenditure does not necessarily mean good mental health outcomes for its citizens. In low- and middle-income countries, a multitude of factors including social stigma, human resource shortages, fragmented service delivery models, and lack of research capacity for the implementation and policy change contribute to the current mental health treatment gap.