BasicNeeds

BasicNeeds is a global mental health organization, working to improve the lives of people living with mental illness and or epilepsy. In July 2017, It was merged into the Christian disability charity CBM UK.[1]

BasicNeeds organization has helped people recover from mental illness and sustain good mental health by community support and free treatment, most especially to those living in resource-poor environments. The organization is goal is to help people in low and middle income countries.

Background

BasicNeeds was established in 2000 by Chris Underhill MBE. It was set up because of the factors which the WHO report highlighted, and through its programs attempts to ensure that mental health is given due attention.

BasicNeeds was a response to the lack of real mental health care in lower and middle income countries. Since its foundation, BasicNeeds has helped over 657,000 people with mental illness or epilepsy as well as their families and carers in India, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal, China, Pakistan and South Sudan.[2]

Approach

BasicNeeds' mission is to enable people living with mental illness and epilepsy and their families to live and work successfully in their communities by combining health, socio-economic and community oriented solutions with changes in policy, practice and resource allocation.

BasicNeeds' innovative Model for Mental Health and Development[3] takes a holistic approach to community-based mental health care and consists of five inter-linking modules:

  1. Capacity building: Identifying, mobilizing, sensitizing and training mental health and development stakeholders
  2. Community Mental Health: Enabling effective and affordable community oriented mental health treatment services
  3. Livelihoods: Facilitating opportunities for affected individuals to gain or regain the ability to work, earn and contribute to family and community life
  4. Research: Generating evidence from the practice of mental health and development
  5. Collaboration: Forging partnerships with stakeholders who are involved in implementing the model on the ground and/or are responsible for policy and practice decisions to improve mental health provision.

Scale and impact
Country Start Total beneficiaries
 India 2000 84,212
 Sri Lanka 2001 47,047
 Ghana 2002 140,357
 Tanzania 2003 124,638
 Uganda 2004 130,548
 Kenya 2005 80,387
 Laos 2007 8,152
   Nepal 2010 7,142
 Vietnam 2011 11,660
 China 2011 2,275
 Pakistan 2011 15,031
South Sudan 2013 3,077

References
  1. Kay, Liam (28 July 2017). "BasicNeeds merged into Christian disability charity". Third Sector.
  2. "Where we work | BasicNeeds". www.basicneeds.org. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  3. "Mental health". CBM UK. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
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