Field test version: mhGAP community toolkit: Mental Health Gap Action Programme (‎mhGAP)‎

Overview

This toolkit has been developed as part of WHO’s mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), which aims to ensure that people with mental health conditions receive highquality, evidence-based mental health services that promote human rights, dignity and equity. It also aims to achieve universal health coverage through integration of mental health services throughout primary, secondary facility-based and community-based care. In service of these aims, WHO’s mhGAP provides a set of guidelines, tools and training packages to help countries and regions build up and expand their mental health services.

The purpose of the mhGAP Community Toolkit is to promote the expansion of mental health services beyond the primary health-care setting by doing the following:

• highlighting the opportunities that exist within communities to promote mental health, prevent mental health conditions and expand access to mental health services;
• providing guidance on how to identify local mental health needs and match them with activities that build on available resources and opportunities while engaging the local community;
• providing practical tips on delivering mental health activities, programmes and interventions in the community;
• combatting stigma, discrimination, social exclusion and human rights abuses that affect people with mental health conditions