In many African countries, mental health issues, including the burden of serious mental illness and trauma, have not been adequately addressed. These essays shed light on the treatment of common and chronic mental disorders, including mental illness and treatment in the current climate of economic and political instability, access to health care, access to medicines, and the impact of HIV-AIDS and other chronic illness on mental health. While problems are rampant and carry real and devastating consequences, this volume promotes an understanding of the African mental health landscape in service of reform.

Contributions by: William Murphy, Victoria de Menil, Theresa Betancourt, Rene Collignon, Ama de-Gaft Aikins, Andrew Dawes, Michael R. Reich, Seggane Musisi, Zuhayr Kafaar, Shoba Raja, Soroya Seedat, Katherine Sorsdahl, Elialilia S. Okello, Sarah Kippen Wood, Victor Christian Korley Doku, Crick Lund, Pamela Collins, Ursula Read, Bronwyn Meyers, Rita Gillian M. Thom, Guiseppe Raviola, Dan Stein, Vikram Patel