Mentorship in Global Mental Health

Abstract

This chapter advocates for a mentorship framework that is not solely focused on individual self-promotion but is grounded in addressing the global gap in equity for access to and use of quality mental health services. Engaging with this global mission can best be initiated from a position of humility and reflexivity that should be cultivated in the mentoring relationship. Moreover, transforming mental health services worldwide will only be achieved through equitable, transparent, and sustainable collaborations. Mentorship that is embedded in such collaborations should focus on how to build and maintain these relationships. Ultimately, to achieve the goals of global mental health, institutions will need to make equity, including gender and other types of equity, a top priority in mentorship programs. Mentor–mentee relationships in global mental health should be grounded in the mission to promote equity in access to and use of quality mental health services. Mentors should model and promote key competencies of humility and reflexivity, development and maintenance of strong collaborations, and participatory research skills to identify locally salient clinical and community needs. To assure equitable global mental health careers for women, mentors should establish mandatory gender-sensitivity training for researchers, develop leadership packages for women, and promote equal decision-making power between female and male supervisors.