Momentum is growing globally for rights-based, person-centered, and recovery-oriented mental health policies and action plans, ensuring equitable access to quality services within Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This publication provides a clear framework for strengthening leadership, governance, service delivery, and workforce capacity. It highlights mental health’s connection to social and structural determinants—such as poverty, housing, education, and employment—offering actionable strategies to address these, combat stigma and discrimination, and expand access to care. It emphasizes the crucial role of people with lived experience in shaping inclusive, responsive systems and advocates for cross-sector collaboration to deliver holistic support, integrating lifestyle, and physical health, psychological, social, and economic interventions while promoting well-being and prevention.

The Guidance comprises five modules.

Module 1. Introduction, purpose and use of the guidance explores key mental health policy considerations, addressing challenges and the urgent need for reform to tackle social and structural determinants. It emphasizes the need to align with international human rights frameworks, highlighting essential factors and proposing new directions for equitable, rights-based mental health support.

• Module 2. Key reform areas, directives, strategies, and actions for mental health policy & strategic action plans
• Module 3. Process for developing, implementing, and evaluating mental health policy & strategic action plans
• Module 4. Country case scenarios
• Module 5. Comprehensive directory of policy areas, directives, strategies and actions 

P.15 WHO promotes integrated, comprehensive care for people facing diverse health issues. This Guidance focuses on mental health and supports policy reforms that protect the rights of everyone who interacts with mental health systems and services, regardless of their condition, diagnosis, psychosocial disability status, or how they may identify themselves. It includes individuals with mental health conditions, psychosocial disabilities, and those experiencing temporary or ongoing distress or crises. People with intellectual or cognitive disabilities, neurological conditions, or who use alcohol and other psychoactive substances are also included to the extent that they use mental health services and face related issues alongside their other conditions.

In many countries, mental health, neurological, and alcohol and other psychoactive substance use services are integrated at the point of care. While this Guidance references people with the above conditions — as well as suicide prevention and psychosocial support in humanitarian contexts — detailed guidance on these areas is beyond its scope. For further information sources, see report Box 6.