精神疾病是全球疾病負擔最大的因素之一。然而，精神疾病實際的盛行率卻很難驗證，因為這類資訊不常在很多國家內接受調查或統計；特別是較無相關資源之中低收入國家。世界衛生組織的統計報告資料顯示，每五個人就有一個人曾罹患或正在承受精神疾病的折磨，但目前尚無統計數據可佐證此說法，尤其是中低收入國家。
本論文之主要研究目的為彙整各不同收入國家罹患有精神疾病者比例之流行病學數據進行統計分析，並確認不同收入國家所投入之醫療資源、公共衛生介入措施、或診斷和治療上之否有存在差異。此外，本研究欲探討影響使用精神疾病醫療服務的其他環境因素，並給予政策上之建議。
此研究結果發現，中低收入國家的治療可近性可能存在嚴重缺陷，造成之因素包括人力資源缺乏，因為服務太過集中且人員缺乏教育訓練，且宣傳活動與相關法規之相對不足。此結果也發現，普遍在各國仍有很高比例患有精神疾病之病患尚未接受治療，在中低收入國家中尤其如此，故我們建議將中低收入國家的服務分散至地區而不是集中，且相關人力資源也必須增加以使需要的人能接受到所需之醫療服務。
Mental illness is one of the largest contributors to global burden of disease. Yet details of prevalence for individual countries are seldom published, especially for LMICs (Low and Middle Income Countries). Generalised data from various sources, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that mental illness affects around 1 in 5 individuals, yet individual country data illustrates much fewer being treated, especially in LMICs.
The purpose of this paper is to assay the true epidemiology of global mental health using the raw data provided by the WHO questionnaires. Additionally, I intended to identify factors that may affect access to services, and make suggestions for future policy and planning.
This study has identified that it is likely that there is a substantial deficit in treatment accessibility in LMICs. Causal factors include lack of human resources, primarily centralised services, lack of educational and promotional activities, and inadequate policy and law as well as demographic factors. Across all income levels there are seemingly those who go untreated, but this is especially true in LMICs. Services in LMICs should be decentralised and human resources increased, as part of the strategy to improve this deficit.
