Basic Information
The World Health Organization (WHO) was established in 1948 and is the directing and coordinating authority on international health within the United Nation’s system (World Health Organization 2006). It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries, and monitoring and assessing health trends (About WHO n.d.).
WHO’s constitution echoes a clear understanding about psychosocial aspects of health. It states that “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (World Health Organization 2007). It also lays emphasis from the beginning on the “happiness, harmonious relations and security to all people…” (World Health Organization 2007).
Major Impact on the Field
WHO has a strong relationship with the Ministries of Health of the member...
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References and Further Reading
About WHO. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2011, from http://www.who.int/about/en/
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Saxena, S., Sharan, P., Garrido, M., & Saraceno, B. (2006). World Health Organization’s Mental Health Atlas 2005: Implications for policy development. World Psychiatry, 5(3), 179–184.
WHO. (2001). The world health report 2001 – Mental health: New understanding, new hope. Geneva: WHO.
WHO_AIMS. (n.d.). General information. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/WHO-AIMS/en/
World Health Organization. (2006). Working for health: An introduction to World Health Organization. Geneva: World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. (2007). Basic documents (46th ed.). Geneva: World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. (2008). mhGAP: Mental Health GAP Action Programme: Scaling up care for mental, neurological and substance use disorders. Geneva: World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. (2010). mhGAP intervention guide for mental, neurological and substance use disorders in non-specialized health settings. Version 1.0. Geneva: World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Project atlas: Resources for mental health. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/atlas/en/
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Saxena, S., Yasamy, M.T. (2019). World Health Organization (WHO). In: Gellman, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_76-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_76-2
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