Reflecting on Global Challenges on the Way to Advancing Mental Healthcare

The 12 narratives included in this symposium on living with mental health challenges reflect the broad spectrum of experiences and interpretations of individuals who have mental health conditions. They also reflect the range of views within global mental health discourse about effective ways to improve the mental health of individuals and populations. Some important issues are common in these narratives, notably how experiencing trauma, particularly in childhood, can impact mental health. The narratives present a broad spectrum of views regarding the interpretation of mental health conditions and the ways mental healthcare systems have addressed them. These narratives demonstrate an urgent need globally to liberate the field of mental health from the overuse of the biomedical model and allow other models to compete and receive support.