(from the chapter) Notes that mental illness is a generic term which includes a wide range of health problems. The large body of epidemiological research evidence demonstrates that mental disorders are among the most common and most disabling health problems in the community. The understanding of mental health is now based on a much broader perspective than that of the narrow, biomedical approach favored by clinical psychiatry. This book started out as a means to focus on NGO action in the field of mental health, with the explicit objectives of documenting their innovative achievements and examining the issues determining their success and viability. In this concluding chapter, the authors' attempt is to provide an overview of the rest of the chapters, with specific focus on generating a consensus on the role, contributions and future strategies/plans of NGOs working in mental health and allied fields. The authors examine the strengths and weaknesses of the NGO framework for meeting the mental health needs of the community. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2003 APA, all rights reserved)