Global Mental Health Unboxed #20
Your monthly newsletter on all things global mental health
3 March 2025
Dear readers,
It’s been a while! Two and a half years, to be exact. I want to thank everyone who has stuck with this newsletter, as well as all the new subscribers who signed on not knowing if there will ever be another issue. Life happened in the meantime, but I always had this newsletter at the back of my mind - a labour of love - and wanted to go back to it. The time has come now and I hope you enjoy it, but most of all, because of the time being what it is, I hope you find it helpful. The world of global mental health has changed while I wasn’t writing and we have many more events, newsletters, centres of knowledge in the field. I will try to feature them all in turn and expand this newsletter where it makes sense. For now, I will keep the structure from the previous editions since it is functional, and will see if any changes that make sense should be incorporated with time. If you have ideas, let me know at manolova.gergana@gmail.com.
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Yours,
Gergana
News and Notes in Global Mental Health
Here I share interesting pieces of information, announcements and news that have reached me in our field. I rely on your contributions as well - please share your news or announcements with me.
Survey of the impact of USAID and other government funding cuts on global mental health services - this is a joint initiative by the Global Mental Health Action Network and the Mental Health Innovation Network to understand how programmes and practitioners around the world are affected by the funding cuts in the development sector, although it is unclear if the recently-announced UK aid cuts are included in the scope (if you are affected by them, go ahead and submit your response as well!) The aim is to gather information so as to raise awareness among policymakers, donors, and global health advocates and arm these stakeholders with data to discuss possible solutions. Submissions are anonymous - make yours and share in your networks.
Request for Proposal (RFP) for a ‘living evidence synthesis’ platform for common metrics in mental health - a new sizeable Wellcome Mental Health venture is about to begin. Continuing from the current work of IAMHRF on common metrics in mental health research, this platform will be an ongoing living thing to provide evidence on the current use of metrics right down to the context and setting of their use (a wonderful thing for anyone who has ever tried to plan a mental health research project in detail). Wellcome are currently seeking Supplier proposals and request your expressions of interest by 21 March 2025.
Events in Global Mental Health
The event calendar for 2025 is at globallyminded.org. Keep in mind that events may beannounced shortly before they take place and I publish them on the website with only 2-3 days’ notice. I only publish some spotlights here.
25 March 2025 - Online - Launch of the WHO Mental Health Policy Guidance - the launch of this policy will be rather game-changing for the world of global mental health, especially where there is need for developing and implementing detailed intersectoral policy. I’ve had the opportunity to review drafts of it and, friends, it opens a world of possibilities. In the words of Michelle Funk, who was in charge of the development, it “tackles key social factors like poverty, housing, and education; centers the voices of those with lived experience to drive real change; prioritizes holistic care—mental, physical, social, and economic well-being; focuses on prevention and fostering well-being for all; reinforces human rights protections in mental health care”. I think it does more than that. But the launch event itself will be worth seeing, too, as it features the WHO Director-General and that rare and elusive species, ministers of health.
Jobs and Opportunities in Global Mental Health
The jobs and opportunities listed here might not be advertised as being in global mental health and the decision for including them is mine alone. Unless otherwise stated, I have found out about them through job sites, social media posts, other newsletters and so on, so I have no more information on them than publicly available and you should refer to those listed in the job ad.
Some experience (2-5 years) necessary
Communications and Impact Manager at the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders, remote - advisable by 5 March 2025
Programmes Manager at the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders, remote - advisable by 5 March 2025
PAHO Consultant - Violence Prevention, remote (Spanish required) - by 8 March 2025
Postgraduate Research Assistant at King’s College London, UK - by 18 March 2025 (international applicants welcome)
Mentorship Programme at Cambridge Global Mental Health journal - no deadline stated
5+ years of experience necessary
Fellowship at the Carter Center for Mental Health Journalism - by 2 April 2025
Mental Health and Wellbeing Expert at the United Nations Youth Office in New York - by 10 March 2025
Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing Project Manager at the United Nations Secretariat in Germany - by 11 March 2025
Director, Global Mental Health at the Clinton Health Access Initiative, remote
Resources in Global Mental Health
A section for various resources, databanks, information sources that may prove helpful.
Digital Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Toolkit by the Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement MHPSS Hub - this toolkit is a collection of documents, reports, articles, factsheets and webinars which allows practitioners to catch up to some of the latest thinking around digital MHPSS interventions. The “Dive deeper” section is especially useful if you’re thinking of developing that aspect of service delivery - you will find there a lot of thoughtful information around apps, blended delivery, reaching vulnerable populations and more.
Publications in Global Mental Health
The selection of publications ultimately reflects my personal knowledge and preferences, but I have no intended bias. Feel free to send me publications you consider interesting or that you would like to be featured. I try to focus on articles that are free or open access.
Applying systems theory to global mental health - I read with great interest this article by Mark Jordans, who argues that systems thinking is very suitable for addressing the challenges of global mental health, especially in service integration and delivery. I tend to agree, based on my experience, that single interventions-thinking are not the answer, however many RCTs we hold (note that Mark specifically argues for partnering the perspectives, including single interventions, and not throwing out one thing for another). Moreover, most people who work in mental health systems eventually reach the limits of the system - which are not far because mental health, as a latecomer to the health systems world, is constrained on the sides - and then turns a supporter for integration and intersectorality for the benefit of the people they serve. In the end, global mental health is there to help people, and people are complex entities whose whole lives are reflected in and rebounded by their mental health issues. Systems thinking feels an especially urgent paradigm for the current dizzying changes of the global mental health landscape, torn by funding crises, geopolitical crises, digital crises. But then, how to bring policymakers round to complexity when they urge for simplicity? I think that question will have to receive an answer through practice.
Mental health crisis ‘means youth is no longer one of happiest times of life’ - by all means read also the UN-commissioned paper associated with this scientific reporting, but the headline is spot on with. Consider this quote: "Whereas happiness was once considered to follow a U-shape – with a relatively carefree youth, a tougher middle age and a more comfortable later life – the experts in wellbeing say our satisfaction now rises steadily with age instead.” This may be good news for the middle-aged and older generations, but what does this “crisis in wellbeing” in young people set them up for, later down the road? We know that poor mental health subtracts years of life - lived with disability, lived without joy, or even not lived at all - from people’s lifespan. If we accept this crisis of wellbeing, do we normalize young people’s misery? One thing is for sure, we’ll have to change a lot of psychology textbooks.
Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter. I will publish the next edition in April 2025 and in the meantime will keep updating my website when I find the time. If you have ideas, suggestions, or just want to say hi (the best thing!), you can leave me a comment or write an email - my address is above in the introduction.
Glad to have you back. As always thank you for the information.