Abstract

Global mental health explores cultural differences and context-specific conditions. It deals with the epidemiology of mental disorders, their treatment options, mental health education, the structure of mental healthcare systems and human rights issues. Specifically, this paper focuses on community-based mental health approaches that may be useful for marginalized and excluded populations, for example, frail elderly, francophone minorities and refugees. We explore the delivery of mental health support and care, psychoeducation, narrative therapies and trauma-informed approaches for these populations. We focus on lay persons, peer workers and community-based primary care practitioners and shared mental healthcare workers. We provide examples of these approaches and therapies and explore the central role of narrative approaches and proximity of care.