Mental disorders account for nearly 12.3% of the global disease burden, estimated to increase to 15% by the year 2020. Much of this increase is likely to happen in developing countries that are least prepared to deal with it. Due to paucity of financial resources and the time taken to train professionals, developing countries are unlikely to see substantial short-term increases in the number of mental health professionals. Although effective interventions for many mental disorders are available, only a minority receive treatment from mental health services.