Explained: Global mental health's catastrophic cash problem

What you're about to read is a deeply researched piece on the financial crisis in the global mental health movement. You won't find this story anywhere else, and like everything else on this site, it is 100% ad-free and funded by paying supporters. Please help me make my work sustainable by choosing one of the below options now:

In a reader survey a couple of months ago, I'd asked you what new formats or types of stories you'd like me to work on. One of your suggestions was data- and graphics-led pieces that would simplify critical themes around mental health.

Today I am attempting just that, focusing on a big, hairy subject that doesn't get nearly enough attention outside of nerdy circles: the catastrophic gap in funding for mental health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). I read through some of the most important research in this area and distilled the key insights in four hand-drawn charts, so you don't have to.

Obviously, the economics of global mental health funding is a huge area. For starters, I looked at the disastrous inequities plaguing international development assistance for mental health, and what needs to happen to fix this problem. I also mined data that exposes the neglect suffered by 40% of the world's population: children and adolescents.