Saúde Mental Global e Direitos Humanos

Our group includes psychiatrists, psychologists, social scientists and epidemiologists and is based at the Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health (LIGMH), founded in 2014 by the Gulbenkian Foundation, NMS and ENSP. It aims at generating innovative knowledge, building capacity and providing technical collaboration to governments worldwide in the areas of: mental health, social determinants and vulnerable populations; mental health policy and services; and mental health and human rights.

Our researchers have extensive international experience and a large record in the coordination of national and international projects - e.g., the coordination of the Mental Health Plan in Portugal, the Portuguese Mental Health Survey (within the World Mental Health Surveys Initiative), studies on the impact of the economic crisis on mental health, the Gulbenkian Global Mental Health Platform, the EU Joint Action on Mental Health and Wellbeing, the monitoring of mental health policy and care in the EU (within the EU Compass for Mental Health and Wellbeing), and Master Courses on mental health policy, mental health systems and global mental health, developed in collaboration with WHO. 

In addition, we have also developed close partnerships with a significant number of research and policy centres in Europe, the US, Australia, Africa and Latin America. Our main objectives for the next 4 years are: to continue studying the feasibility and effectiveness of new models of services for persons with severe mental disorders that include the participation of users in the provision of care; to further develop research that may contribute to reduce the use of coercion in psychiatric services across the world; to develop new approaches on capacity building of mental health leaders and researchers, especially in low-income countries; and continuing our collaboration with WHO, EU and other international organizations in projects on mental health policy and services and mental health and human rights.