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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

Mental health for sustainable development: the science behind the vision

Mental health for sustainable development: the science behind the vision

Mental health is both a determinant and an outcome of sustainable development, and reducing mental health inequalities requires integrated strategies that combine clinical care with prevention and policies addressing social determinants.

The lecture explores the argument that mental health must be understood not solely from a biological or clinical perspective, but within the social, economic, environmental, developmental, and cultural contexts in which people live. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a comprehensive framework for understanding these connections; within this framework, mental health is positioned not only as a component of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), but also as a prerequisite for equity, education, economic prosperity, peaceful societies, and environmental sustainability. Drawing on the World Psychiatric Association's Action Plan for 2023–2026, the presentation examines the scientific evidence linking mental health to the broader development agenda. It emphasizes that reducing mental health inequalities requires integrated strategies that combine evidence-based clinical care with early prevention, healthy lifestyle initiatives, and policies targeting the social determinants of health and structural inequalities. The lecture argues that mental health is not merely a health outcome, but a driving force for sustainable development. It concludes that integrating scientific evidence with inclusive policies and culturally informed practices can enable psychiatry to contribute to healthier, more resilient, and more equitable societies, and that advancing mental health is both a scientific imperative and a strategic investment.

All WCP 2026 summaries