Hidden within a pandemic: how is international funding supporting mental health during COVID-19?

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is bringing to light the long-neglected area of mental health. Current evidence demonstrates an increase in mental, neurological and substance use conditions globally. Although long-established as a leading cause of disease burden, mental health has been historically grossly underfunded. This analysis seeks to demonstrate the extent to which funding for mental health has been prioritised within the international COVID-19 response.

The authors analysed the development and humanitarian funding through data provided by the International Aid Transparency Initiative. Project-level COVID-19 data from January 2020 to March 2021 were reviewed for mental health relevance. Relevant projects were then classified into categories based on populations of concern for mental health and the degree of COVID-19 involvement. Financial information was assessed through project transaction data in US Dollars.

Of the 8319 projects provided, 417 were mental health relevant. Mental health-relevant funding accounted for less than 2% of all COVID-19 development and humanitarian funding. Target populations which received the majority of mental health relevant funding were children and humanitarian populations, and 46% of funding went towards activities which combined COVID-19 responses with general humanitarian actions. Over half of mental health relevant funding was received by ten countries, and ten donor organisations provided almost 90% of funding.

This analysis shows that the international donor community is currently falling short in supporting mental health within and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic continues, sustainable country-led awareness, treatment, and prevention for mental, neurological and substance use conditions must be prioritised.