Routledge Handbook of International Development, Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental health has always been a low priority, but over 650 million people have diagnostic criteria for common mental disorders. The UN's current international development agenda contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG3, which seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages. This Handbook examines the implications of the new UN agenda for national and international policy-makers, decision-makers, researchers, and funding agencies, and explores why a commitment to investing in mental health for the fulfillment of SDG3 should be an absolute global priority.

Format: Hardback
Length: 413 pages
Publication date: 25 June 2019
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Mental health has consistently been accorded a low level of importance on a global scale. However, it is estimated that over 650 million individuals fulfill the diagnostic criteria for common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, with nearly three-quarters of this burden occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Mental health remains significantly inferior to physical health across the world. Despite remarkable advancements in medical treatments for physical ailments, mental disorders continue to exhibit a remarkably high mortality rate. Despite its pervasive disregard, there is a growing international demand to enhance global mental health and well-being. The United Nations (UN) currently has an international development agenda in place, which was finalized at the end of 2015. This agenda includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with SDG3 specifically aimed at ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all individuals at all stages of life. While the SDGs are broader in scope than the previous eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the need for global improvement in mental health has finally received recognition. This Handbook examines the new UN agenda in the context of mental health and sustainable development, exploring its implications for national and international policy-makers, decision-makers, researchers, and funding agencies. Conceptual, evidence-based, and practical discussions spanning various disciplines are presented by esteemed mental health experts from around the world. Together, they delve into the rationale behind prioritizing mental health investment to fulfill SDG3 on a global scale.

Weight: 928g
Dimension: 181 x 252 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367027735