How do we engage global communities in the de-stigmatisation of mental illness?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged that high-income countries often address discrimination against people with mental health problems, but that low/middle income countries often have significant gaps in their approach to this subject—in how they measure the problem, and in strategies, policies and programmes to prevent it. Localised actions have occurred. These include the Hong Kong government’s 2017 international conference on overcoming the stigma of mental illness, has seen several developments as a result, the 2018 London Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit, and the UK’s Medical Research Council has funded Professor Graham Thornicroft (an expert in mental health discrimination and stigma), to undertake a global study. These and other approaches are welcome and bring improvements; however, they often rely on traditional westernised, ‘global north’ views/approaches. Given rapid global demographic changes/dynamics and lack of evidence demonstrating progress towards positive mental health globally, it is time to consider alternative and transformative approaches that encompasses diverse cultures and societies and aligns to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically UN SDG 3 (Good health and wellbeing). This article describes the need for the change and suggests how positive change can be achieved through transnational inclusive mental health de-stigmatising education.