WHO Urges Shift to Community-Based Mental Health Care on World Mental Health Day

To mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2026, the World Health Organization published new guidance urging governments to replace long-stay psychiatric institutions with community-based, person-centred mental health care. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said people 'should not have to give up their freedom, dignity or place in their community to receive ongoing mental health support'. The 2026 theme, 'Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change', calls on policymakers to put people with lived experience of mental health conditions at the centre of decisions on services, laws and funding. WHO estimates close to one billion people worldwide live with a mental disorder, yet most low- and middle-income countries still spend a tiny share of their health budgets on mental health and rely heavily on large hospitals. The European Commission marked the day with its own 'let's talk and listen' campaign, while UNICEF spotlighted children's mental health. Advocates highlighted mounting pressures from social media, climate anxiety and conflict, and warned of worsening gaps in care for young people. The day was observed in dozens of countries with public events, free screenings and workplace talks.