ArticleArchives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique2023
Essential medicines for mental disorders: comparison of 121 national lists with WHO recommendations.
Article in Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Psychotherapies for Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.JAMA psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Harnessing Nanocarriers to Improve Psychiatric Treatment: Progress, Limitations, and Future Directions.International journal of nanomedicine · 2026Review
- Comparative efficacy and acceptability of psychosocial interventions for PTSD, depression, and anxiety in asylum seekers, refugees, and other migrant populations: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled studies.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2025Article
- Ground-breaking change to the mental health section of the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines: implications for low- and middle-income countries.Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTo compare the medicines for mental disorders included in national essential medicines lists with the World Health Organization (WHO) essential medicines list and assess the extent to which economic status and WHO Region account for the differences.
methodsWe searched WHO repository and government sites for national essential medicines lists and we abstracted medicines for mental disorders. We calculated the proportion of WHO essential medicines included, the total number of differences (counting both additions and deletions) between national and WHO model list and the proportion of lists including one second-generation oral antipsychotic plus one new-generation antidepressant. Non-parametric statistics was used to investigate whether these indicators were dependent on economic status and WHO Region.
resultsAmongst the 121 identified national lists, the total number of medicines for mental disorders ranged from 2 to 63 (median: 18; IQR: 14 to 25). The median proportion of WHO essential medicines for mental disorders included was 86% (IQR: 71-93%), with 16 countries (13%, 95% CI 7.75-20.5%) including all WHO essential medicines, while the median number of differences with the WHO EML was 11 (IQR: 7 to 15). Country economic level was positively associated with both the proportion of WHO essential medicines included (Spearman's rho = 0.417, p < 0.001) and the number of differences (Spearman's rho = 0.345, p < 0.001), implying that countries with higher income level included more WHO essential medicines, but also more additional medicines. Significant differences were observed in relation to WHO Region, with the African and Western Pacific Region showing the lowest proportions of WHO essential medicines, and the European Region showing the highest median number of differences. Overall, 88 national lists (73%, 95% CI 63-80%) included at least one second-generation oral antipsychotic and new-generation antidepressant, with differences by income level and WHO Region.
conclusionsThe degree of alignment of national lists with the WHO model list is substantial, but there are considerable differences in relation to economic status and WHO Region. These findings may help decision-makers to identify opportunities to improve national lists, aiming to increase access to essential medicines for mental disorders.
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