Global Mental Health: A Call for Increased Awareness and Action for Family Therapists

• Author: Jo Ellen Patterson,Todd M. Edwards,Susanna Vakili
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12281
• Published date: 01 March 2018
• Date: 01 March 2018

Global Mental Health: A Call for Increased

Awareness and Action for Family Therapists

JO ELLEN PATTERSON*

TODD M. EDWARDS

†

SUSANNA VAKILI

§

Global mental health (GMH) is an emerging field that focuses on the need for cul-

turally sensitive mental health services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs ).

While many new initiatives have been established worldwide to understand GMH

needs and to provide care in LMICs, family therapists have primarily worked with

families in high-income countries. The few existing family-based initiatives in GMH

focus on psychoeducation and are typically not based on general systems theory. How-

ever, emerging trends in family therapy may enable family therapists to impact men-

tal health issues in LMICs. These trends, which are shared interests of both family

therapy and GMH, include collaborative care, a growing emphasis on the importance

of culture in understanding and treating mental health issues, recognition of the abil-

ity of families to support or impede recovery from mental illness, and the use of

strength-based and evidence-based treatments. This paper describes ways for fam ily

therapists to become active in the GMH community.

Keywords: Global Mental Health; Low- and Middle-Income Countries; Family Therapy

Fam Proc 57:70–82, 2018

The World Health Organization (WHO) (2001) estimates that 400–500 million people

worldwide are coping with a mental health problem. A large percentage of this popula-

tion lives in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 85% of the world popula-

tion resides. Resources devoted to healthcare systems in LMICs are often limited. More

than 75% of the mentally ill in these countries remain untreated due to a shortage of men-

tal health specialists and a dearth of mental health services (Votruba, Eaton, Prince, &

Thornicroft, 2014; WHO, 2013). Where mental health resources do exist, they are often

delivered in psychiatric hospitals staffed with only one or two psychiatrists, located in

urban, highly populated areas.

Over the past 25 years, GMH has bl ossomed into a dedicated, organized field that aims

to more effectively recognize and treat mental health needs of the poorest citizens in coun-

tries that are severely under resourced (Collins et al., 2011; Lund et al., 2011). The field is

multidisciplinary and involves global ongoing research and the implementation of evi-

dence-based interventions. While there is recognition of the effects of mental illness on

family members, family therapists have not been widely involved in delivering

interventions.

*Professor, Marital and Family Therapy Program, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA. .

Volunteer Clinical Associate Professor, University of California at San Diego, School of Family Medicine,

Global Health and Psychiatry.

†

Professor and Director, Marital and Family Therapy Program, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA.

§

University of California at San Diego Health System, San Diego, CA.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jo Ellen Patterson, University of San

Diego 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110. E-mail: joellenpatterson@gmail.com

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Family Process, Vol. 57, No. 1, 2018 ©2017 Family Process Institute

doi: 10.1111/famp.12281