Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Latin America is home to an estimated 600 million people, the majority of whom live in severe economic deprivation and political instability. While mental illness and substance use problems (MISUP) in Latin America account for approximately a tenth of the world's total burden of the disease, very few individuals receive adequate treatment. 18 million Latin Americans are reported to be facing unemployment, eviction, and homelessness as a result of mental disorders. Untreated MISUP are a major public health issue as they can lead to long-term disability, impaired functioning, caregiver burden, and ultimately premature death. Given the prevalence of such issues in Latin America, an effort to address health equity and accessibility to mental health services is warranted. Research regarding mental health service use in Latin America is scarce, with even fewer studies focusing on barriers to accessibility such as stigma and discrimination. The goal for this project is to share key insights among Latin American countries to better understand factors that inhibit access to mental health services. Funding for a 3-day meeting bringing together key stakeholders from Chile, Canada, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina who are actively addressing these issues will serve three objectives: 1. Dissemination of Research - Disseminating findings from anti-stigma projects in Chile, Peru and Canada detailing challenges within their health systems, impact of interventions and opportunities to further research in this area. 2. Information Gathering - Exploring research studies concerning factors that prevent access to mental health care in Bolivia and Argentina to extract key insights from each approach. 3. Collaboration - Developing new, relevant and collaborative regional projects, research and interventions addressing accessibility to mental health services.