Global Mental Health Movement: Need for a cultural perspective

The present commentary reviews the goals and differing positions on the Movement for Global Mental Health (GMH), with a distinct emphasis on the cultural differences in the understanding of the aetiology of mental health issues. The proponents and advocates of GMH support its intentions and primary agenda of scaling up mental health services, especially in low-income and middle-income countries where the prevalence of mental health disorders is continually rising. However, many cultural psychologists and sociologists critique the movement for universalising psychiatric symptoms, as this universalisation could actually suppress local voices and might also undermine the significance of culture and political and psychosocial predictors which may contribute to mental health challenges. After discussing the pros and cons of the GMH movement, this commentary concludes with a conceptual analysis of the GMH position and offers predictions about its future discourse.