{"id":6621,"date":"2024-06-24T16:29:26","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T15:29:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedgmh.org\/?page_id=6621"},"modified":"2025-03-10T14:48:56","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T14:48:56","slug":"mental-health-data","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/unitedgmh.org\/mental-health-data\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Health Data"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mental health data and where to find it<\/h1>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n \n <\/clipPath>\n \n
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The current state of mental health data\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The scale of current data gaps on mental health, especially in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), is a cause for concern. For example,\u00a0global coverage of prevalence data for six mental disorders in ages 5-17 years is just 6.7%<\/a>. Coverage is especially low in LMICs, with no region in sub-Saharan Africa having more than 2% prevalence data coverage for any mental health condition.<\/p>\n

\"Young<\/p>\n

Why having good mental health data matters\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Having timely, representative, good-quality data on mental health is essential to provide an evidence base for decision-making, drive policy change, ensure accountability, and make the case for increased investment and improved access to services.<\/p>\n

During a lively, well-attended session on data advocacy at the 2023\u00a0Global Mental Health Action Network (GMHAN) Annual Meeting in Cape Town<\/a>, we heard powerful examples of how\u00a0participants have used data in their advocacy to secure youth involvement in policy reform in the Caribbean, a new Mental Health Act in Nigeria, and the decriminalisation of suicide in Ghana.<\/p>\n

\"Mental<\/p>\n

Key sources of mental health data and recommendations for improving it\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To help advocates to find and use mental health data in their work, UnitedGMH has published a policy brief on mental health data and where to find it<\/a>. The policy brief summarises and signposts the main sources of data relevant to mental health. It covers data available from both official sources (governments as well as and intergovernmental organisations such as the UN) and unofficial sources (e.g. the private sector, civil society organisations and citizen-generated data). It outlines the pros and cons of different datasets, identifies current data gaps and makes recommendations for action, such as:<\/p>\n