WHO sets out what every government sector can do for mental health
WHO has published guidance on policy and strategic actions to protect and promote mental health across government sectors. It covers ten sectors, including education and employment, with policy directives, strategic actions and example indicators for each.
What happened
WHO describes the guidance as setting out, for the first time, what different government sectors can do individually and together to promote and protect population-wide mental health and well-being.
It covers ten sectors: culture, arts and sport; defence and veterans; education; employment; environment, conservation and climate protection; health; interior; justice; social protection; and urban and rural development. For each, it identifies key policy directives, strategic actions and example indicators for measuring progress, which governments can adapt to local conditions. Sector-specific material is published alongside the overarching document.
The guidance also advises on setting up a high-level cross-sectoral initiative on mental health and sets out eight practical steps, from opening high-level dialogue and reviewing existing policies to implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
WHO grounds the guidance in human rights, equity and evidence, and presents both the costs of inaction and the societal benefits of investing in mental health. It builds on WHO’s guidance on mental health policy and strategic action plans for the health sector, published earlier in 2025.
Why it matters
The guidance treats schools and workplaces as places where mental health is shaped, not only where problems are noticed. Education leaders, school counsellors and HR professionals can use the sector material to see what public policy in their area is expected to address, and which indicators may be used to measure it.
Several of the ten sectors outside health, including education, justice, and defence and veterans, employ or work closely with counsellors and psychologists. It is guidance for governments. It does not set requirements for individual schools, employers or practitioners, and how far it shapes national policy depends on each government.
Source
- World Health OrganizationWHO launches new guidance to promote mental health across all government sectors