Drivers for change in mental health provision in four diverse countries

Progress in the mental health field requires change, which is evident in certain countries yet not in others. This column will argue that the role of mental health nursing has not had the needed leadership, nor contemporary management, in cultures which are adverse to change, notably with regard to women’s empowerment. Resistance is common in countries where mental health care development lags and unfortunately opportunities are lost (Cleary, West, Arthur, & Kornhaber, 2019) while the profession is left to lament and health services to languish. Culture emerges as a potent factor in this change for it is the hub of the wheel of human interaction in society.