Section of Mental Health Policy (including WHO Collaborating Centre for Research & Training in Mental Health)

The Collaborating Centre and Section of Mental Health Policy (Centre/Section) offer support to governments and non-governmental organisations around the world, helping them develop and implement locally appropriate policies, services and training to promote mental health, prevent illness and treat and support people with mental health problems and their families. These projects collaborate with policy makers, professionals and non-governmental organisations in the health, social welfare, education and criminal justice sectors, and the design of teaching and training material suitable for each country's specific needs.

The centre/section has long-term relationships with many low and middle-income countries. In Tanzania, Zanzibar and Kenya, for example, they have worked with the Ministries of Health since 1998 to support the development and implementation of national mental health policies, new legislation, the integration of mental health into health and social sector reforms, liaison with traditional healers and the introduction of training programmes and new ways of working for primary care and specialist workers. The centre/section has worked with the Egyptian Ministry of Health in a similar way since 2000.

In Russia, the centre/section has supported mental health reforms funded by the UK Department for International Development and, since 2000, has been running policy development workshops in Georgia in liaison with the Ministry of Health and key stakeholders.

In Pakistan, the centre/section has advised policy-makers on the integration of mental health into primary care; has given training about research to the University of Health Sciences in Lahore; has trained army psychiatrists about public mental health; and has liaised on disaster relief coordination and helped to prepare training materials for front line health workers. The centre/section also gives support to health promotion and Pakistan's National Action Plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is the United Nations' agency for health (www.who.int/about/en/ ). An international network of collaborating centres carries out work in support of WHO programmes: visit http://www.who.int/mental_health/policy/en/ to find out about WHO activities and policies on mental health.

The IoP was given WHO Collaborating Centre status in 1992. Professor Rachel Jenkins has directed the centre since 1997 and also heads the Section of Mental Health Policy in Health Service and Population Research.

Other work undertaken at the request of both WHO, the UK Department for International Development and individual nations includes detailed assessments of mental health need; appraisals of mental health policy and services; the development of good practice guidelines; and strategic advice and support to non-governmental organisations through seminars and workshops. The centre/section has also worked with the European Commission on mental health promotion in Europe.

Professor Jenkins has been a member of WHO's expert panel of advisors since 1995 and has sat on more than 20 WHO expert committees on mental health. An honorary consultant psychiatrist with the Maudsley Hospital, she has been a consultant to the World Bank and the UK Department for International Development (for whom she has organised briefings and seminars on mental health) and a consultant to the African Development Bank.

Professor Jenkins delivers keynote and invited lectures around the world. In the UK, she contributes to national policy by joining or advising government committees and national groups. In 1992, she initiated and now continues to contribute to a series of epidemiological surveys, looking at the mental health of the general population, children, carers, prisoners, the homeless, looked-after children and people living in institutions.