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

Judith K Bass; Thomas H Bornemann; Matthew Burkey; Sonia Chehil; Lenis Chen; John RM Copeland; William W Eaton; Vijay Ganju; Erin Hayward; Rebecca S Hock; +8 more... Rubeena Kidwai; Kavitha Kolappa; Patrick T Lee; Harry Minas; Flora Or; Giuseppe J Raviola; Benedetto Saraceno; Vikram Patel; (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.