Columbia Global Mental Health Program Raises Awareness and Provides Opportunities for Faculty and Students – Mental disorders and substance abuse are estimated to be almost a quarter of the global disease burden – more than any other cause – yet, compared to other diseases, few resources are devoted to treatment and prevention. “From within public health there has been a commitment to a global understanding of health for decades, but mental health has largely been in the shadows,” says Dr. Kathleen Pike, a professor of epidemiology and psychiatry and executive director and scientific co-director of the Global Mental Health Program (GMHP). The initiative, a collaborative effort between seven schools at Columbia, is led by a partnership of investigators in the departments of epidemiology and psychiatry, whose goal is to support faculty and prepare trainees in advancing the field of global mental health by building research ties and in low and middle-income countries, offering training opportunities, and raising awareness about mental illnesses. To read more, click here.