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A concrete indicator of a government's commitment
to mental health services is the amount of financial resources it
allocates. To encourage the government to increase mental health
funding, it would require additional research and dissemination
findings on the economic consequences of mental health disorders,
cost-effectiveness benefits of alternatives treatment, and alternative
methods of financing for mental health illnesses. In addition, an
organized consumer group can be an effective means in informing
legislative and government policy makers. Public financing alone
is not sufficient for treating mental illness. Private financing
may supplement public funding. It would be important to combine
both public and private funding to deliver adequate services for
mental illness patients. WHO has been very effective in global tobacco
control and SARS epidemic. The new administration should use this
successful momentum to initiate a global funding campaign for mental
health disorder as a top priority.
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