Why Does Mental Health Not Get the Attention It Deserves? An Application of the Shiffman and Smith Framework

More than 13% of the global burden of disease for mental disorders is due to neuro psychiatric disorders, and over 70% of this burden lies in low- and middleincome countries. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death globally for all ages. Despite this burden, mental illness has thus far not achieved commensurate visibility, policy attention, or funding, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Shiffman and Smith have developed a framework of analysis that attempts to understand why some global health initiatives are more successful in generating funding and political priority than others. [Plos Essay]. URL:[http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001178].