BasicNeeds is a global mental health organization, working to improve the lives of people living with mental illness and or epilepsy. It was merged into the Christian disability charityCBM UK in July 2017. By working in partnership with local partners and people, BasicNeeds has built an innovative and effective model for recovery and sustained good mental health that uses meaningful work and community support, as well as treatment, to help those living with mental illness in resource-poor settings. BasicNeeds is predominately focused on low and middle income countries. BasicNeeds was established in 2000 by Chris Underhill MBE, who had worked with mental health organizations in Africa for over 25 years and arrived on the continent in the early 1970s with Voluntary Service Overseas. 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.
Background
According to the World Health Organization more than 450 million people suffer from mental disorders. Depression alone is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. The cost to the world economy is some US$2.5 trillion per year in reduced economic productivity and physical ill-health, yet resources are scarce, with mental health being allocated less than 2% of health spending in most low and middle income countries. Poverty brings with it heightened stress, social exclusion, malnutrition, violence and trauma, all of which contribute to mental illness. It is a vicious cycle: people living with mental illness experience widespread stigma and discrimination, suffer violence and abuse, and find it harder to get work, get an education or contribute to their family and community. They are more prone to other forms of illness and disease, and find it harder to access health care.
Approach
BasicNeeds 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' 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 takes a holistic approach to community-based mental health care and consists of five inter-linking modules:
Capacity building: Identifying, mobilizing, sensitizing and training mental health and development stakeholders
Community Mental Health: Enabling effective and affordable community oriented mental health treatment services
Livelihoods: Facilitating opportunities for affected individuals to gain or regain the ability to work, earn and contribute to family and community life
Research: Generating evidence from the practice of mental health and development
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.
Awards
In 2014, Chris Underhill was recognized for his contribution to the field of mental health by being selected as a Schwab FoundationSocial Entrepreneur of the year. The award gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to participate in various events and initiatives of the World Economic Forum. In 2013, Underhill also received the esteemed Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. Each year the Skoll Foundation presents the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship to a highly selective group of outstanding individuals from hundreds of applications. The award marked the significant contribution made by Underhill to the field of global mental health through BasicNeeds. In 2012, Underhill was elected as a Senior Fellow In 2011, elected Mayor of Leamington Spa, Alan Wilkinson, chose BasicNeeds as one of his three official charities for his year in office. BasicNeeds was also "highly commended" by the Charity Awards in 2011.
