NIHR Global Health Research Group on Developing Psycho-Social Interventions

About 5-8% of the population are affected by severe mental illnesses. The signs of these illnesses vary, but often include very low mood, anxiety, hearing voices or believing things that are not shared by others, withdrawal, and lack of hope and initiative. These illnesses can last for decades and present a major burden to societies, with substantial distress to the affected people and high costs. In high income countries, specialised services have been established to provide care for these people.