3-minute read

A new perspective

Mental health issues are on the rise globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates put the rise in both anxiety and depressive disorders at more than 25% during the first year of the pandemic.

By broadening our perspective of mental health innovation from the Global North to encompass local, community-based initiatives from the Global South, we can start to find solutions to unique challenges and begin to understand the cultural context that defines mental health globally.

What can we learn from the Global South?

An article by Mad In America states “The Global South invites global mental health to work locally and regionally instead of only globally or universally. It also invites global mental health to attend to social and community issues”.

The Psychiatrist Vincenzo Di Nicola also argues that the fields of psychiatry and psychology have neglected the knowledge and practices of the Global South and that in the Global North, we should look at mental health at a social and relational level, and to work locally and regionally instead of a national and international one-size-fits-all approach.

Given that nearly 1 billion people live with a mental health challenge, it is time to start to learn from Global South mental health innovation.

News is good, we are talking. There is a growing sense of awareness, advocacy, collaboration and crucially, action.

The Global South is taking the lead in examples of community-based, peer-led initiatives which are vital to strengthening our understanding of and creating solutions for mental health issues in a local context.

Some examples

Círculos de Mujeres: Women’s Circles is a co-designed and community-based intervention based on a model for marginalised women in Guatemala. Women's Circles nurture the innate strength of women and communities through a series of group activities, which include games and artistic expression. They also conduct group therapy sessions that include management of emotions, relaxation, and problem resolution. The aim is to promote well-being, reduce stress, strengthen relationships, and support women to become agents of change.

The Friendship Bench, based in Zimbabwe, aims to have a Friendship Bench within walking distance for all. Clinical teams train community health workers to provide cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), problem-solving and peer-led group support. They offer a safe space to improve mental well-being guided by empathy and connection.

Alongside local, community focused projects, WHO are developing an Initiative for Mental Health (2019-2023), the goal is that 100 million more people have access to quality and affordable mental health care by 2023 to improve mental health and scale up quality services in community-based settings.

Networks and organisations such as The Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN) share innovative mental health resources and initiatives from around the World and The SHM Foundation | Stories of Grassroots Mental Health Care who are seeking to support and develop mental health initiatives at the community level are strengthening our knowledge base and approaches to mental health and wellbeing.

Changing the conversation

Often, we are eager to share our own learning and innovations from across the Global North with the Global South, we invite you to take some time to explore, connect, and learn from the innovations that often get overlooked.

At Habitus, we are all about Knowledge Mobilisation—turning research into practical examples. Using the latest research from around the World, we support charities, other non-profit organisations, local authorities, health care providers and businesses to build or enhance their mental health programmes.

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