title: Mental health surveillance and information systems.
abstract: Routine information systems for mental health in many Eastern Mediterranean Region countries are rudimentary or absent, making it difficult to understand the needs of local populations and to plan accordingly. Key components for mental health surveillance and information systems are: national commitment and leadership to ensure that relevant high quality information is collected and reported; a minimum data set of key mental health indicators; intersectoral collaboration with appropriate data sharing; routine data collection supplemented with periodic surveys; quality control and confidentiality; and technology and skills to support data collection, sharing and dissemination. Priority strategic interventions include: (1) periodically assessing and reporting the mental health resources and capacities available using standardized methodologies; (2) routine collection of information and reporting on service availability, coverage and continuity, for priority mental disorders disaggregated by age, sex and diagnosis; and (3) mandatory recording and reporting of suicides at the national level (using relevant ICD codes).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, and Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gater
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chisholm
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dowrick
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D019083:Mediterranean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014944:World Health Organization