Readiness for Integrating Mental Health Care: Implementation in Contemporary Settings of the Asia-Pacific

Mental health is an integral part of the overall health and well-being of a person. However, it remains under-resourced and unintegrated across the Asia-Pacific region. This study assesses the readiness of the selected Asia Pacific countries to integrate the mental health care services in the legal system. Employing a mixed-methods research design, this study has analyzed the domestic legal framework and mental health related data of eight countries in Asia-Pacific region- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, South Korea, and Sri-Lanka in mainly five indicators: Legal and policy infrastructure, institutional mechanisms, financing, human resources, and stigma relating to mental health to assess the readiness of these countries to integrate mental health. The findings reveal that South Korea is the only country which is highly ready to integrate mental health into its legal system. India is moderately ready, while the other six countries- Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Sri-Lanka- lack sufficient legal framework, financing, human resources, and have social stigma, making them not ready to integrate the mental health in their legal system. Overall, the Asia-Pacific region is not yet ready to integrate mental health. The study recommends legislative reforms, strong enforcement mechanisms, adequate financing, and stigma reduction to ensure effective integration of mental health care in the Asia-Pacific region.