Health in its broadest sense includes physical and mental health. Even though many health workers agree with this broad conception of health, in reality the focus is mainly on physical health. There are many reasons for this. Probably the most important reason is that health workers do not understand much about mental health and are therefore less comfortable dealing with mental health problems. However, in recent years there has been growing awareness about various types of mental illnesses. Many health workers have become more interested in dealing with these problems. Mental illnesses have been shown to be common, occurring in all societies and in all sections of any society. We now know that mental illnesses cause great suffering and disability. As well as in the general adult population, mental illnesses have been found to occur in children, in the elderly and in mothers. Mental health is no longer a subject for the specialists; in fact, it is a basic aspect of care for any health worker in any community. It is essential that, just as with physical illnesses, the health worker is well informed about mental illnesses. It is with this goal in mind that this manual has been written.

Why this manual?

This manual was written for two key reasons. The first is that there are no practical, clinically oriented manuals for mental health care designed for general health workers. Those that exist focus entirely on medical practitioners or are in the form of local handouts or leaflets, and so lack depth. The second reason is that in my years of working in developing countries I have realised that the single biggest obstacle to achieving our shared goal of mental health for all is the increasingly complex and technical language of psychiatry. I have sought to break down the wall that psychiatry has built around itself, with the aim of liberating mental health from its hold. In the process, I hope this manual will serve to empower health workers to feel confident to deal with mental illness.