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Book ReviewsFull Access

Promoting Mental Health Internationally

Published Online:1 Jan 2001https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.52.1.118

As a psychiatrist with a major interest in international psychiatric and mental health issues, I looked forward to reviewing Promoting Mental Health Internationally. The book evolved from a December 1993 festschrift to commemorate Dr. Norman Sartorius' retirement from the World Health Organization (WHO) after more than 25 years of service. The editors are colleagues of Dr. Sartorius from WHO's Division of Mental Health or other international colleagues who collaborated with him during his years at WHO.

In preparing this book, the editors had two main objectives: to honor Dr. Sartorius for his legacy at WHO and to highlight WHO's mental health contributions during Dr. Sartorius' tenure. In my opinion, both objectives were well accomplished. The book offers an excellent summary of WHO's mental health contributions, which I think would be very helpful for young psychiatrists as well as others who are not familiar with the history of WHO's mental health activities.

The book is composed of an introduction and five parts. The five chapters of part 1 address new methods and concepts in the mental health field. I found the first chapter, which focuses on the foundations of WHO's work on mental health issues, of much historic value. Also, the chapter on mental health information transfer offers excellent perspectives in view of the current international trends in this domain.

The second part, consisting of three chapters, discusses the main areas related to WHO's contributions. The epidemiology of schizophrenia, biological research in psychiatry, and the neurosciences program for neurological disorders are all well addressed. The three chapters of part 3 cover key topics in psychosocial aspects of health, psychiatric disorders among elderly persons, and prevention and control of drug and substance misuse.

Part 4 contains three chapters dealing with WHO's regional and national program initiatives, including the restructuring of psychiatric care in Latin America. Part 5 contains one chapter, which recounts the experiences of a WHO consultant.

I very much enjoyed this book and think that Dr. Sartorius well deserved the honor and recognition the book's editors and contributors extend to him. Although the book is not an extensive compendium of WHO's mental health contributions and initiatives during Dr. Sartorius' long tenure, it offers much of value for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals interested in epidemiology, public health, addiction services, and research on health and mental health services.

Dr. Ruiz is professor and vice-chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

edited by Giovanni de Girolamo, Leon Eisenberg, Sir David P. Goldberg, and John E. Cooper; London, Gaskell, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1999, 189 pages, $42