Excerpt

Mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders are prevalent in all regions of the world and are major contributors to morbidity and premature mortality. In 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), to facilitate scaling up of care for MNS disorders. A key part of mhGAP is the evidence-based guideline, published in 2010 and available through the mhGAP Evidence Resource Centre (http://www.who.int/mental health/mhgap/evidence/en/). The objectives of the guideline are:

• To provide up-to-date WHO guidance to facilitate delivery of interventions by non-specialist health care providers in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs);
• To assist with the scale up of care for MNS disorders identified as conditions of high priority in LAMICs, specifically: depression, psychosis (including schizophrenia and bipolar disorders), epilepsy, child mental disorders, dementia, alcohol use disorders, drug use disorders and self-harm/suicide;
• To provide up-to-date WHO guidance that will facilitate the implementation of the WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020 by health care planners and programme managers in LAMICs.

Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Executive summary
• Introduction
  • Background and context
  • Objectives of the Guideline update
  • Target audience
  • Scope of guideline: What is included in this update?
• Guideline update methodology
  • Group process
  • Declaration of Interest
  • Evidence synthesis
  • Translating evidence into recommendations
  • GDG meeting
  • External peer review
• Publication, dissemination and evaluation of the guideline
  • Presentation of the updated mhGAP guideline
  • Subsidiary products
  • Dissemination plans
  • Supporting local adaptation and implementation
  • Monitoring and evaluating quality of the guideline
  • Future review and update
• List of Recommendations and Remarks
  • mhGAP Priority Condition: Depression
  • mhGAP Priority Condition: Psychosis (including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder)
  • mhGAP Priority Condition: Epilepsy
  • mhGAP Priority Condition: Mental disorders with childhood onset
  • mhGAP Priority Condition: Dementia
  • mhGAP Priority Condition: Alcohol use disorders
  • mhGAP Priority Condition: Drug use disorders
  • mhGAP Priority Condition: Self-harm and suicide
• Appendix 1 List of GDG members
• Appendix 2 Note for the Record
• Appendix 3 Overview of declarations of interest from GDG members
• Appendix 4 Details related to the search strategy and summation of evidence and electronic databases routinely searched for each key question
• Appendix 5 Guiding principles for technical experts to assess the quality of evidence included in evidence profiles

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