New WHO guidance on mental health and well‐being across government sectors

New WHO guidance on mental health and well-being across government sectorsMental health and well-being are foundational to both individual and societal health and overall development.No society can truly prosper without them, as mental health is central to all areas of life and essential for communities to thrive.The unprecedented convergence of multiple global crises and shocks, including climate change, conflict and epidemics/pandemics, is having profound and direct effects on mental health and wellbeing worldwide, while also exacerbating and compounding social and structural determinants that undermine mental health and well-being [1][2][3] .Because mental health is deeply interconnected with all sectors, addressing these challenges cannot be the responsibility of the health sector alone.Action across all sectors is essential -not only to improve mental health and societal well-being, but also to foster overall development, promoting social inclusion, equity, univer sal health care, human rights, and sustainable economic progress.Yet, in most countries, policies, strategies and plans across government sectors -including but not limited to health -do not adequately reflect or address the determinants of mental health and well-being.To support governments in this effort, the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a new Collection of resources titled "Mental health and well-being across government sectors", a practical package designed to help countries embed mental health and well-being into policies across all government sectors.The Collection has two main parts: