A United Nations General Assembly Special Session for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders: the time has come.

Bass, Judith K; Bornemann, Thomas H; Burkey, Matthew; Chehil, Sonia; Chen, Lenis; Copeland, John RM; Eaton, William W; Ganju, Vijay; Hayward, Erin; Hock, Rebecca S; +8 more...Kidwai, Rubeena; Kolappa, Kavitha; Lee, Patrick T; Minas, Harry; Or, Flora; Raviola, Giuseppe J; Saraceno, Benedetto; and Patel, Vikram (2012) A United Nations General Assembly Special Session for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders: the time has come. PLoS medicine, 9 (1). e1001159-. ISSN 1549-1277 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001159

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Mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders are leading causes of the global burden of disease and profoundly impact the social and economic well-being of individuals and communities. The majority of people affected by MNS disorders globally do not have access to evidence-based interventions and many experience discrimination and abuses of their human rights. A United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) is needed to focus global attention on MNS disorders as a core development issue requiring commitments to improve access to care, promote human rights, and strengthen the evidence on effective prevention and treatment.