Public Mental Health

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition, of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV) has defined mental health disorders as conditions characterized by deregulation of mood, thought, and/or behaviour. The global burden of disease attributable to neuropsychiatric conditions is 13.8 %. Depression alone accounts for 7 % of the disease burden and is among the leading causes of disability. The World Health Organization (WHO) has predicted that by 2030, neuropsychiatric conditions will cause the greatest overall increase in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), with economic consequences both in terms of direct (outpatient care, drug costs, and hospitalization) and indirect costs. This chapter aims to review the current evidences regarding public mental health, helping health professionals and stakeholders to promote best practices in terms of prevention. In this chapter, we describe the most prevalent mental health disorders: mood disorders, in particular depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias.