In their monthly editorial, the PLOS Medicine Editors reflect on the "paradox" of mental health. On the one hand, mental health issues are often over-treated and over-medicalized, leading to "selling sickness" as reflected in recent debates and concern about the DSM-5. But on the other hand, there are still millions of people across the globe suffering with mental health, neurological, or substance use disorders that go unrecognized and untreated, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
Over the years, PLOS Medicine has published many papers on global mental health, particularly in its Magazine section. All of these analyses were done by researchers free of financial links to manufacturers with a stake in expanded markets, thus providing the necessary independent opinion.
The global understanding of mental health is still relatively underdeveloped, however. In this editorial, PLOS Medicine reaffirms our commitment to publishing rigorous, insightful research and commentary on a broad range of issues around global mental health.
Image Credit: Simon Daniel Photography at Flickr
Editorial
The Paradox of Mental Health: Over-Treatment and Under-Recognition
PLOS Medicine: published May 28, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001456
Perspectives
Intimate Partner Violence and Population Mental Health: Why Poverty and Gender Inequities Matter
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001440
Related Articles
Assessing Population Aging and Disability in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from Malawi?
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001441
Related Articles
Irreconcilable Conflict: The Tobacco Industry and the Public Health Challenge of Tobacco Use
PLOS Medicine: published May 28, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001457
Related Articles
Health in Action
Providing Impetus, Tools, and Guidance to Strengthen National Capacity for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Viet Nam
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001429
Integrating Global and National Knowledge to Select Medicines for Children: The Ghana National Drugs Programme
PLOS Medicine: published May 21, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001449
Policy Forums
Grand Challenges: Integrating Maternal Mental Health into Maternal and Child Health Programmes
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001442
Related Articles
Grand Challenges: Integrating Mental Health Care into the Non-Communicable Disease Agenda
PLOS Medicine: published May 14, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001443
Related Articles
Grand Challenges: Improving HIV Treatment Outcomes by Integrating Interventions for Co-Morbid Mental Illness
PLOS Medicine: published May 21, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001447
Related Articles
Grand Challenges: Integrating Mental Health Services into Priority Health Care Platforms
PLOS Medicine: published May 28, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001448
Related Articles
Guidelines and Guidance
Setting Research Priorities to Reduce Mortality and Morbidity of Childhood Diarrhoeal Disease in the Next 15 Years
PLOS Medicine: published May 14, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001446
Reviews
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Evaluation of Community-Based Treatment of Childhood Illnesses through Household Surveys
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001384
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Current Indicators for Measuring Coverage of Diarrhea Treatment Interventions and Opportunities for Improvement
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001385
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Total Survey Error and the Interpretation of Intervention Coverage Estimates from Household Surveys
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001386
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Determining and Interpreting Inequalities in Coverage of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Interventions
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001390
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Tracking Progress in Health for Women and Children Using DHS and MICS Household Surveys
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001391
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Design, Implementation, and Interpretation Challenges Associated with Tracking Vaccination Coverage Using Household Surveys
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001404
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Indicators for Global Tracking of Newborn Care
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001415
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Challenges and Opportunities in the Selection of Coverage Indicators for Global Monitoring
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001416
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Challenges in Monitoring the Proportion of Young Children with Pneumonia Who Receive Antibiotic Treatment
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001421
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: New Findings, New Strategies, and Recommendations for Action
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001423
Research Articles
Measuring Coverage in MNCH: Accuracy of Measuring Diagnosis and Treatment of Childhood Malaria from Household Surveys in Zambia
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001417
Disability Transitions and Health Expectancies among Adults 45 Years and Older in Malawi: A Cohort-Based Model
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001435
Related Articles
Intimate Partner Violence and Incident Depressive Symptoms and Suicide Attempts: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies
PLOS Medicine: published May 7, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001439
Related Articles
Carriage of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the Upper Respiratory Tract of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Children: An Observational Study
PLOS Medicine: published May 14, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001444
Effect of Facilitation of Local Maternal-and-Newborn Stakeholder Groups on Neonatal Mortality: Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial
PLOS Medicine: published May 14, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001445
Contribution of H. pylori and Smoking Trends to US Incidence of Intestinal-Type Noncardia Gastric Adenocarcinoma: A Microsimulation Model
PLOS Medicine: published May 21, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001451
Gene Expression Classification of Colon Cancer into Molecular Subtypes: Characterization, Validation, and Prognostic Value
PLOS Medicine: published May 21, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001453
Tobacco Company Efforts to Influence the Food and Drug Administration-Commissioned Institute of Medicine Report Clearing the Smoke: An Analysis of Documents Released through Litigation
PLOS Medicine: published May 28, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001450
Related Articles
Domestic Violence and Perinatal Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
PLOS Medicine: published May 28, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001452
Comparative Efficacy of Seven Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Patients with Depression: A Network Meta-Analysis
PLOS Medicine: published May 28, 2013 | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001454