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Chapter 14 - Mental Health in Developing Countries

from Section 3 - Contemporary Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2025

Dawn N. Albertson
Affiliation:
University of New Hampshire
Derek K. Tracy
Affiliation:
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Dan W. Joyce
Affiliation:
University of Liverpool
Sukhwinder S. Shergill
Affiliation:
Kent and Medway Medical School
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Summary

Developing countries (a term often used interchangeably with low- and middle-income countries) account for the overwhelming majority of the world’s population. There is a huge burden of mental illness coupled with deficits in mental healthcare resources and infrastructure that perpetuates a high treatment gap in most developing countries. Good quality scientific research can help in understanding the challenges and evaluating solutions to improve mental healthcare delivery. However, there is a substantial scarcity of research from developing countries. This chapter discusses the unique nature of strengths and challenges with respect to mental health and provides examples of successful scientific mental health research with public health implications from developing countries. The feasible solutions to improve mental healthcare research across individual, organisational, and national level in developing countries given the unique strengths and deficits are discussed in detail.

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