WHO Calls for Community-Based Mental Health Care in New Guide
[ Back to News Page ] Dated: 15-Oct-2026
Illustrative photo from the Nexus Laboratories image library; not a photograph of the WHO announcement.
Published: 15 October 2026 | WHO announcement: 9 October 2026
The World Health Organization has released a practical guide to help countries move from long-term psychiatric institutional care towards mental health support in the community.
Care built around people
Announced ahead of World Mental Health Day, the guide promotes services that respect people's rights, choices and dignity. It supports reducing unnecessary admissions and prolonged hospital stays while helping people return to community life with appropriate care.
WHO stresses that hospitals cannot achieve this transition alone. Housing, healthcare, social support, education, employment opportunities and support for families are all part of helping people live well.
People with lived experience must be involved
The guidance calls for people who have experienced mental health conditions and institutional care to help design services and decisions that affect them.
WHO reports that only 9% of countries providing data had fully moved to community-based mental health care, while 53% remained at an early stage of reform. The new guide offers approaches that countries can adapt to their own circumstances.
Source: WHO: Community-based mental health care, 9 October 2026.
Health news summary for general information; individual care decisions should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.
