Mental health is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to their community.” Most people struggle with their mental health from time to time, whether it’s brought on by stress from work, financial issues or relationship strain. Furthermore, mental health is a component that is present to some extent in all other NCDs. As chronic diseases, they often produce anxiety or depression in patients, that need to be addressed as part of a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to NCD management. Pharmacists can contribute to the prevention, care and management of mental health conditions and the stigma associated with them, by supporting patients through different roles, including:
- Health promotion and education
- Prevention of addictions, substance use disorder, overdose prevention
- Early detection
- Triage and referral
- Mental health first aid
- Treatment optimisation
- Helping to shape public policies
- Interprofessional collaborative practice
- Research
Pharmacists have shown that they are valuable assets in providing evidence-based advice to patients, supporting digital advances in information and technologies that enable the management of mental health conditions, and be a valuable member of the healthcare team in the prevention, care and management of these conditions.
