Mental health is a vital component in our ability to engage with others, cope with stress, achieve our goals and contribute to our communities. Globally, an estimated 14% of people live with a mental health condition. Although common, the majority of people with a mental health condition do not receive appropriate care as a result of barriers to help-seeking, often related to stigma, and poor resourcing which limits the availability of mental health care and support. Global mental health is a critical field addressing the profound inequities in mental health care worldwide. Our work is driven by the belief that mental health is an integral component of overall health and well-being, and that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, deserves access to quality care.
At King’s we have a vast and world-leading programme of mental health research including, develop and evaluate mental health interventions, and address inequities in the accessibility and quality of mental health services. We are at the forefront of global mental health research, with a strong emphasis on understanding the burden of mental health conditions and developing innovative solutions to address them. Our research spans a wide range of areas, including work to understand the epidemiology of and lived experience of mental health conditions, clinical trials, health systems research, and the development of scalable interventions for mental health promotion, prevention, and care. Our work has a tangible influence on policy and practice in high-, middle-, and low-income settings. In addition, we have a strong history of prioritising capacity-building through training and mentorship, advocating for the inclusion of mental health in policy and engaging communities to co-design solutions to address local priorities.