title: Information systems for mental health in six low and middle income countries: cross country situation analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research on information systems for mental health in low and middle income countries (LMICs) is scarce. As a result, there is a lack of reliable information on mental health service needs, treatment coverage and the quality of services provided.
  
  
  METHODS
  With the aim of informing the development and implementation of a mental health information sub-system that includes reliable and measurable indicators on mental health within the Health Management Information Systems (HMIS), a cross-country situation analysis of HMIS was conducted in six LMICs (Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda), participating in the 'Emerging mental health systems in low and middle income countries' (Emerald) research programme. A situation analysis tool was developed to obtain and chart information from documents in the public domain. In circumstances when information was inadequate, key government officials were contacted to verify the data collected. In this paper we compare the baseline policy context, human resources situation as well as the processes and mechanisms of collecting, verifying, reporting and disseminating mental health related HMIS data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings suggest that countries face substantial policy, human resource and health governance challenges for mental health HMIS, many of which are common across sites. In particular, the specific policies and plans for the governance and implementation of mental health data collection, reporting and dissemination are absent. Across sites there is inadequate infrastructure, few HMIS experts, and inadequate technical support and supervision to junior staff, particularly in the area of mental health. Nonetheless there are also strengths in existing HMIS where a few mental health morbidity, mortality, and system level indicators are collected and reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study indicates the need for greater technical and resources input to strengthen routine HMIS and develop standardized HMIS indicators for mental health, focusing in particular on indicators of coverage and quality to facilitate the implementation of the WHO mental health action plan 2013-2020.
authors.affiliation: Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors.forename: Nawaraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Upadhaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Development, HealthNet TPO, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Mark J D
authors.initials: MJD
authors.lastname: Jordans
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Jibril
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abdulmalik
authors.affiliation: Centre for Chronic Conditions and Injuries, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Shalini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahuja
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Atalay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alem
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.|Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hanlon
authors.affiliation: Butabika National Mental Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kigozi
authors.affiliation: Butabika National Mental Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kizza
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.|Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Crick
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.affiliation: Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Semrau
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.|Centre for Chronic Conditions and Injuries, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India.|CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shidhaye
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thornicroft
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Development, HealthNet TPO, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ivan H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Komproe
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Oye
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gureje
keywords: Information systems; Low and middle income countries; Mental health