The World Health Organization (WHO) has given a global perspective to integrated care with its 2008 report "Integrating Mental Health into Primary Care", exploring worldwide initiatives. Among the report's key points is the conclusion that "integrating mental health services into primary care is the most viable way of closing the treatment gap and ensuring that people get the mental health treatment they need." The report describes best practices in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India and several other countries and synthesizes the ten principles of integrated care researchers extracted from their findings:
- Policy and plans need to incorporate primary care for mental health.
- Advocacy is required to shift attitudes and behavior.
- Adequate mental health training of primary care workers is required.
- Primary care tasks must be limited and doable.
- Specialist mental health professionals and facilities must be available to support primary care.
- Patients must have access to essential psychotropic medication in primary care.
- Integration is a process, not an event.
- A mental health service coordinator is crucial.
- Collaboration with other government nonhealth sectors, nongovernmental organizations, village and community health workers and volunteers is required.
- Financial and human resources are needed.