Global Mental Health at Johns Hopkins
About Us
With work spanning over 20 countries, GMH faculty lead research and practice in the prevention and treatment of mental health conditions for populations worldwide. By emphasizing both global-to-local and local-to-global learning, we aim to close the mental health care gap and address the social and environmental factors that shape mental health across contexts. We identify and measure key mental health and psychosocial challenges using mixed-methods research, guide the design of locally relevant mental health interventions, and monitor and evaluate services with our partners globally.
By bridging research to policy development, our center collaborates with international and US organizations to create and evaluate programs targeting social and environmental determinants known to increase the risk or severity of mental health issues. We focus on translating research into effective practices that drive equitable, sustainable change.
At a Glance
Vision
Mental health is valued, promoted, and cared for equitably across the life course and around the globe.
Mission
Reduce the mental health care gap through integrated care and address social and environmental determinants that influence mental health and wellbeing across local and global settings.
Values
Collaboration, Compassion, Cultural Humility, Human Rights, Inclusivity, Justice, Reciprocal Innovation, Science, Service, Shared Learning, Sustainability
Evolution of Global Mental Health at Johns Hopkins
Global Mental Health (GMH) at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH) has a long-standing commitment to improving mental health care in underserved regions across the globe. The program’s roots trace back to the early 2000s, with pioneering work in Rwanda and Uganda, which highlighted the unmet need for mental health services in low-resource settings.
In 2004, several of our faculty initiated the Applied Mental Health Research Group (AMHR) at Boston University School of Public Health. The AMHR group was brought back to BSPH in 2007 when Dr. Bill Eaton, then the chair of the BSPH Department of Mental Health, recruited faculty to initiate a formal Global Mental Health education and research program, now the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Mental Health.
To date, BSPH faculty and students have implemented mental health research and practice activities in over 30 countries across 6 continents, tackling mental health challenges in communities with few or no formal mental health resources. Our work is known for its interdisciplinary approach, drawing expertise from public health, epidemiology, sociology, medicine, psychiatry, and humanitarian health to create comprehensive, effective solutions. Our faculty have expertise in developing and disseminating approaches that use both qualitative and quantitative methods for designing, implementing, and studying mental health programming adapted to local cultures and conditions.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Global Mental Health remains focused on addressing emerging challenges, such as those posed by climate change, pandemics, and the changing dynamics of migration and conflict. With a strong foundation in research, practice, policy, and education, the Center is well-positioned to continue shaping the global mental health landscape and develop sustainable solutions for vulnerable populations worldwide.
Key Highlights of the Center's Development
2003: Community Mental Health Program Development for Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, USAID Partnership, led by Paul Bolton, MBBS, MSc, MPH, DTMH, Judy Bass, PhD, MPH, MIA, and Laura Murray, PhD, MA
2004: Formal Establishment of the Applied Mental Health Research Group (AMHR)
2005: Inaugural Global Mental Health class: Mental Health in Developing World, 1-credit course in the Department of Mental Health Summer Institute
2007: Development of Global Mental Health Educational Program
2008: Development of Issues in Mental Health Research in Developing Countries, 3-credit course in the Department of Mental Health
2011: Release of the Grand challenges in Global Mental Health study, led by Pamela Y. Collins, MD, MPH
2011: Uganda Early Childhood Education Study, led by Judy Bass, PhD, MPH, MIA
2014: Launch of Global Early Adolescent Study
2015: Inaugural NIMH funded T32 Training Grant Cohort
2017: Initiation of Postpartum Depression study in Pakistan, led by Pamela J. Surkan, ScD, PhD, MS
2018: Shoshanna Fine, PhD, MPH joins Global Early Adolescent Study
2022: Launch of Rural Exploration and Approaches to LGBTQ + Mental Health (REALM) Prospective Cohort Study, led by Sarah Murray, PhD, MSPH
2023: Launch of Integration study of a Transdiagnostic Psychological Intervention in the Care for Adolescents and Youth with HIV in Kenya, led by Pamela Collins, MD, MPH
2024: Establishment of the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Mental Health