World Psychiatric Association-Asian Journal of Psychiatry Commission on Public Mental Health.

Although there is considerable evidence showing that the prevention of mental illnesses and adverse outcomes and mental health promotion can help people lead better and more functional lives, public mental health remains overlooked in the broader contexts of psychiatry and public health. Likewise, in undergraduate and postgraduate medical curricula, prevention and mental health promotion have often been ignored. However, there has been a recent increase in interest in public mental health, including an emphasis on the prevention of psychiatric disorders and improving individual and community wellbeing to support life trajectories, from childhood through to adulthood and into older age.

ACTION APAC: Understanding perceptions, attitudes and behaviours in obesity and its management across south and Southeast Asia.

To identify perceptions and attitudes among people with obesity (PwO) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) toward obesity and its management in nine Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted among adult PwO with self-reported body mass index of ≥25 kg/m (≥27 kg/m, Singapore), and HCPs involved in direct patient care. In total, 10 429 PwO and 1901 HCPs completed the survey. Most PwO (68%) and HCPs (84%) agreed that obesity is a disease; however, a significant proportion of PwO (63%) and HCPs (41%) believed weight loss was the complete responsibility of PwO and only 43% of PwO discussed weight with an HCP in the prior 5 years.

Geopolitical factors, foreign aid and mental health II: Value for money.

In the previous accompanying paper, we described geopolitical factors which affect mental health of individuals who suffer directly and indirectly. These disasters whether they are natural or man-made often attract significant amounts of aid and resources - financial and human. In addition, those who offer foreign aid need to be aware of where and how the aid is being spent.

Mental illness and the right to vote: a review of legislation across the world.

The right to vote is an important right signifying freedom of thought as well as full citizenship in any setting. Right to vote is enshrined and protected by international human rights treaties. The right of 'everyone' to take part in the political process and elections is based on universal and equal suffrage.

Right to property, inheritance, and contract and persons with mental illness.

Discrimination against people with mental illness is rife across the globe. Among different types of discrimination is the policy in many countries where persons with mental illness are forbidden to inherit property, and they are not able to enter into a contract in a large number of countries. Using various databases, legislations dealing with law of contract, law of succession/inheritance, and law relating to testamentary capacity (wills) of all UN Member states (193 countries) were studied.