ABSTRACT
This chapter considers mental health and mental disorder for policy-makers; the rationale for the need for increased attention to mental health to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDG); and the reasons why adequately addressing mental health is a core asset for health system strengthening. It discusses the relevance of primary care for health promotion, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders, together with key principles for the incorporation of these components into primary mental health care as an essential component of achieving universal health coverage. The chapter argues that health and social systems will be strengthened significantly by integrating mental health into existing health, social, educational, and criminal justice policies. This is a direct requirement of target 3.4 and would greatly assist the achievement of many of the other SDGs. In order to enable progress on SDG target 3.4, it is important to support governments with the integration of mental health policy into public health policy and general social policy.
