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 2. Key reform areas, directives, strategies, and actions for mental health policy and strategic action plans details five key policy areas for reform, starting each discussion with an overview of key challenges and  providing a menu of policy directives, strategies for achieving them, and potential actions for implementation.

• Module 1. Introduction, purpose and use of the guidance
• 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. 11. Explore all opportunities to secure the funding base for mental health. Domestic resource mobilization, along with external funding options, should be examined. Examples of domestic resource mobilization include treasury funds; tax-based national health insurance schemes; community fundraising activities; excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened drinks..

P.36 Establish the range of specialized mental health services to be provided in general hospitals, based on the local context. Specialized services should address the specific needs of the populations the hospital serves. These may include services for dementia, eating disorders, neurodiversity (such as autism), suicide risk and attempts, alcohol and other psychoactive substance use, and support for groups facing discrimination, such as those experiencing gender-based violence, seeking gender-affirmative care, or involved with the justice system. Establishing these services may require introducing specific functions, investing in specialized equipment, and recruiting or training staff with the necessary expertise.

P.39 Establish the range of specialized services that community mental health centres and outreach services will provide. Specialized services should meet the specific needs of the population being served. They may include specialized services for dementia; eating disorders; neurodiversity including autism; suicide risk and attempts; alcohol and other psychoactive substance use. Community beds may be needed for people who require specialized support after a mental health crisis.

P.41 Identify and integrate mental health functions into specialized health services. People using specialized health services may be experiencing emotional distress or mental health conditions, sometimes due to a general health condition or a side effect of its treatment (see also Strategy 2.1.1 on services in general hospitals). Specialized health services include (but are not limited to): accident and emergency services; child and maternal health care; older adult care; noncommunicable disease care (such as for cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory, and autoimmune diseases); palliative care; sexual and reproductive health care; communicable diseases care (such as for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases), and services addressing alcohol and other psychoactive substance use.

P.52 Organize joint training with various organizations and sectors so they better-understand mental health, and rights-based services, actions and support. For example, joint training on mental health and human rights for first responders, such as police, ambulance personnel, and mental health services, can enhance their ability to handle mental health crises, alcohol and other psychoactive substance use incidents, and houselessness. By exploring innovative roles and collaborative approaches, this training can improve intervention strategies in crisis situations, leading to more effective crisis management.

P.91 Psychological interventions - cognitive behavioural therapy, interpersonal therapy, behavioural activation therapy, brief psychodynamic therapy, third-wave therapies, trauma-informed approaches (for example, psychotherapy with a trauma focus, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), and — mainly in relation to alcohol and other psychoactive substance use — contingency management therapy, motivational interviewing and enhancement therapy, positive affect therapy, supportive expressive therapy (202, 224);...

P.93. Policy directive 4.3 Psychotropic drug interventions
Psychotropic drugs are currently central to treatment for mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities. However, the very high prescription rates, particularly in high-income countries, are concerning (2, 181, 182, 260, 261)...

Box 12. Topics for psychotropic drug prescribing and usage guidelines
Guidelines for prescribing psychotropic drugs should cover these topics:

• Assessing indications and contraindications: how to evaluate individuals’ need for psychotropic drugs, identifying contraindications, and assessing likely interactions before prescribing.
• Alternatives and combined interventions: consideration of alternatives to psychotropic drugs and their use in combination with other interventions, such as lifestyle changes, psychological support, social interventions, and economic assistance as part of a comprehensive recovery plan.
• Informed consent: ensuring free and informed consent before prescribing, with clear explanations of potential adverse effects, side effects, and possible complications discussed in advance.
• Avoiding polypharmacy: strategies to avoid using multiple interacting medications, and guidelines for reducing or discontinuing unnecessary psychotropic medications, while ensuring safe withdrawal management and preventing health complications.
• Monitoring and maintenance: how to monitor the effects of drugs, ensure safe maintenance, and provide follow-up for individuals taking psychotropic drugs, including access to adequate laboratory equipment for monitoring medication levels and organ functions, along with regular follow-ups and specialist reviews.
• Communication and coordinated care: ensuring effective communication and coordinated care between the individual’s primary and specialist health care teams when psychotropic drugs are prescribed or adjusted.
  Supported decision-making: providing supported decision-making processes for individuals considering psychotropic drug use...