Evidence mapPaperPMID 41438270Full record

ReviewGlobal mental health (Cambridge, England)2025

Global mental health and psychosocial support programming: An expert review of major implementation and funding challenges.

Paul Bolton, Saloni Dev, Ali Giusto, Bibhav Acharya, Phiona Naserian Koyiet, Rabih El Chammay, Judith Bass, Pamela Y Collins, Joseph Reginald Fils-Aimé, Chenjezo Grant Gonani and 15 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Global mental health (Cambridge, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

25 authors.

Paul BoltonDepartment of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA.
Saloni DevTufts University School of Medicine, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3385-7249
Ali GiustoFlorida International University, USA.
Bibhav AcharyaUCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, USA.
Phiona Naserian KoyietWorld Vision International, Kenya.
Rabih El ChammayMinistry of Public Health, National Mental Health Programme, Lebanon.
Judith BassDepartment of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5192-628X
Pamela Y CollinsDepartment of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3956-448X
Joseph Reginald Fils-AiméZanmi Lasante, Haiti.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1840-8755
Chenjezo Grant GonaniPartners in Health Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone.
Erin FerenchickColumbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, USA.
Laura MurrayDepartment of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA.
Veronica ChoGlobal Mental Health Action Network, UK.
Fátima G Rodríguez-CuevasHEAL Initiative, USA.
Nawaraj UpadhayaHealthRight International Inc, USA.
Giuseppe J RaviolaPartners In Health, USA.
Nagendra LuitelTranscultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal, Nepal.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8291-0205
Esubalew Haile WondimuInternational Rescue Committee, USA.
Inge PetersenUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3573-4229
Ksakrad KellyPartners In Health, USA.
Helena VerdeliTeachers College Columbia University, USA.
Milton L WainbergColumbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9390-4652
Antonis KousoulisUnited for Global Mental Health, UK.
Hamid DabholkarParivartan Trust, India.
Victor UgoThe MHPSS Collaborative, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The global mental health (GMH) field aims to equitably improve mental health and well-being everywhere. This article reviews persistent common challenges hindering sustained, high-quality delivery of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). Our focus is on programming that is funded or implemented by external organizations, typically universities or international non-governmental organizations from high-income countries. It is a consensus statement of MHPSS practitioners, programmers and researchers working for these organizations and some who are locally based who observe these programs in action. We comment on progress to date, barriers and recommendations for change and the importance of promoting sustained integration of MHPSS into health and social service systems through a comprehensive, recovery-oriented system of care. We call for prioritizing often-neglected issues (e.g., stigma, severe mental health conditions and neurodevelopmental conditions), strengthening workforce training and supervision and monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure program quality. The continued dominance of the Global North in shaping GMH programming priorities remains a concern. We advocate for a greater involvement of local workers and communities in agenda-setting for programs, culturally grounded implementation and long-term capacity building. Evidence-based practices must be met with contextual relevance, and comprehensive guidelines for sustained support are needed for development settings. For persistent funding challenges, we recommend clearer funder objectives, investment in in-house mental health expertise and funder coordination with prioritization of complementary programming. These recommendations are essential to realizing equitable, comprehensive, evidence-based and contextually grounded GMH programming.

Indexed as

cultureglobal mental health deliveryhealth inequalities

Identifiers

PMID41438270
PMCPMC12720214

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.