Global Mental Health Action Network

Name

Global Mental Health Action Network

Legal name

United for Global Mental Health

Website

https://gmhan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Membership is free and open to individuals and organisations globally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Global Mental Health Action Network (GMHAN) operates a free global membership network connecting nearly 10,000 mental health advocates from 170+ countries representing 6,000+ organizations. It delivers its offering through Working Groups, Short-Term Action Groups (STAGs), the Circle online community platform, the #MHForAll webinar series, annual Global Mental Health Advocacy Forums, co-produced briefs and guides, and advocacy roadmaps designed to influence global mental health policy at the WHO, UN, and national levels.

Product overview

The Global Mental Health Action Network (GMHAN) is a free membership-based advocacy organization — not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of convening programs, community platforms, and published resources rather than a unified software product. The core portfolio centers on the Global Mental Health Advocacy Forum (four editions held in Nairobi 2020, Cape Town 2023, online 2024, and Iloilo City 2026), which serves as the world's largest civil society gathering on mental health. Supporting this are Working Groups (Children & Youth, Financing, Universal Health Coverage, Suicide Prevention, Environment, Stigma & Discrimination, LGBTQI+) and Short-Term Action Groups organized around global policy moments. The #MHForAll Webinar Series provides year-round knowledge exchange, while Need2Know Briefs and the Briefs and Guides collection deliver evidence-based advocacy resources. The Circle platform serves as the online member community and portal for both the general membership and the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Coalition. The 2025-2035 Strategy (available in four languages) frames the organization's four pillars (Advocacy, Belongingness, Convening, Decentralisation of Power), and the 2026-2027 Advocacy Roadmap maps key global influencing opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GMHAN Membership (Circle Platform) Free membership service for individuals and organizations worldwide, providing access to the Circle online community platform, Working Groups, STAGs, webinars, newsletters, and policy influencing opportunities.
• Working Groups Member-driven thematic groups covering Children & Youth, Financing, Universal Health Coverage, Suicide Prevention, Environment, Stigma & Discrimination, and LGBTQI+. Each group meets regularly, co-produces content, and develops advocacy strategies steered by member Co-Chairs.
• Short-Term Action Groups (STAGs) Time-bound advocacy communities organized around specific global policy events such as the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health, COP30, COP31, and G20/C20. Members collaborate on targeted projects and influence decisions at major policy moments.
• #MHForAll Webinar Series Year-round free webinar series exploring mental health topics with perspectives from academics, UN agency representatives, civil society advocates, grassroots leaders, and donors. Sessions provide practical insights and solutions to pressing mental health challenges.
• Need2Know Briefs Short, authoritative evidence-based briefs on key mental health topics including Movement and Mental Health, Substance Use, Men/NCDs, Commercial Determinants of Health, Air Pollution, and Digital Mental Health. Written by expert members and partners.
• Briefs and Guides Advocacy resources led and co-produced by members, including policy briefs, guides on influencing finance ministries, mental health and climate change guides, youth engagement guidelines, and UN High-Level Meeting briefing documents. Available in English, French, Spanish, and Chinese.
• WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Coalition for Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention A collaborative community-driven project hosted by GMHAN in partnership with the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO). The interactive member portal on Circle maps, supports, and engages civil society organizations working in mental health promotion and substance use prevention across the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4th Global Mental Health Advocacy Forum (Feb 2026) gathered 300+ advocates from 70+ countries in person and 1,500+ online, with live translations in 100+ languages
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• #MentalHealthPHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Local partner for the 4th Global Mental Health Advocacy Forum in Iloilo City, Philippines (February 2026). Contributed to organising the world's largest civil society gathering on mental health.
• DTH-LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaborated with GMHAN's Child & Youth Working Group on the 'Being Online' digital gallery initiative, inviting young people to share creative expressions of their lived online experiences. DTH-Lab Executive Director Aferdita Bytyqi leads the collaboration.
• WHO HLM Mental Health Taskforce memberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The HLM Mental Health Taskforce provided the collective expert voice of the global and multilateral mental health sector, informing the work of international agencies throughout the journey to the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health. Chaired by Dr Antonis Kousoulis, GMHAN's Secretariat Lead.
• United for Global Mental HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited for Global Mental Health is the host organisation of the Global Mental Health Action Network and manages the Secretariat. It provides ongoing commitment to human resources, strategy, and core funding support. GMHAN is registered as a company limited by guarantee (Company No. 11139817) and Registered Charity No. 1180516 (England & Wales) under United for Global Mental Health.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMHAN works in partnership with WHO, including WHO representatives on the Advisory Group (Devora Kestel as Director a.i. NCDs & Mental Health, and Giovanni Sala as WHO Consultant). WHO supports GMHAN's global mental health advocacy and policy influencing work.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMHAN works in partnership with UNICEF. UNICEF representatives Ann Willhoite (Senior Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Advisor) and Emma Ferguson (Global Mental Health Policy and Advocacy Specialist) serve on the GMHAN Advisory Group, providing strategic guidance.
• WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMHAN is hosting and supporting the WHO EMRO Regional Coalition for Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention. GMHAN collaborates with WHO EMRO to advance mental health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region through civil society engagement.
• 6,000+ national and local organisationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGMHAN members represent 6,000+ national and local organisations from around the world, including civil society, NGOs, academia, governments, international organisations, and private sector. These organisations form the backbone of the network's advocacy reach.
• World Federation of Public Health AssociationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented on GMHAN Advisory Group by President Emma Rawson-Te Patu. Contributes to global mental health advocacy and policy guidance.
• Global Psychology AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented on GMHAN Advisory Group by Clinical Psychologist Djavila Ho (Jamaica). Partner in youth engagement and meaningful engagement guidelines.
• World Psychiatric AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented on GMHAN Advisory Group by President Elect Thomas Schulze (Germany). Supports mental health policy and advocacy alignment.
• MHPSS CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with GMHAN on the guide 'How Organisations Can Meaningfully Engage Young People in Mental Health Policy and Practice', contributing to youth engagement frameworks.
• The Being InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with GMHAN on youth engagement guide and ecosystem approach. GMHAN presented on the Being Initiative's work at the Global Leadership Exchange.
• Psychologists Coalition at the UNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with GMHAN on the guide for meaningful youth engagement in mental health policy and practice.
• African Union (AU) Office of the Youth EnvoymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated GMHAN's Effective Youth Engagement Guidelines into the African Union's Youth Mental Health Toolkit, which was distributed across the African continent and to the AU's 55 member states. This means guidelines could indirectly benefit up to 650 million young people in Africa aged 17 and under.
• ASEc+ BrazilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN ECOSOC member and co-organiser of the ECOSOC Youth Forum side event 'Climate Change and Mental Health: Youth at the forefront' alongside GMHAN's Child & Youth Working Group.
• VertentescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with GMHAN's Child & Youth Working Group and ECOSOC for the ECOSOC Youth Forum side event on Climate Change and Mental Health.
• Brazil FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with GMHAN's Child & Youth Working Group and ECOSOC for the ECOSOC Youth Forum side event on Climate Change and Mental Health.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• BasicNeeds: UK-headquartered NGO implementing mental health programmes in low- and middle-income countries, with a strong focus on community mental health and livelihoods. Comparable in LMIC-focused global mental health work and civil-society capacity building.
• StrongMinds: US-based nonprofit running group talk therapy programmes for women with depression in sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable in global mental health mission and Africa focus, but narrower in delivery model (direct service vs. advocacy/convening).

Regional players

• Mental Health Foundation (UK): UK-based mental health charity focused on prevention, research, and public mental health, including policy work. Comparable in advocacy and convening function but operates primarily within the UK rather than globally.
• Mental Health America: The US's oldest community-based mental health organisation, conducting advocacy, public education, and policy work at federal and state level. Comparable in advocacy-led model and resource production, but US-focused rather than global.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): The largest US grassroots mental health advocacy organisation, with a network of affiliates, public-awareness campaigns, and policy lobbying. Comparable in member/community-driven advocacy and resource production, but US-centric.

Others

• World Psychiatric Association: Global professional association for psychiatry with members in 140+ countries, representing GMHAN on its Advisory Group. Comparable in global mental health reach and WHO access, but as a professional/scientific body rather than a civil-society advocacy network.
• International Association for Youth Mental Health (IAYMH): International organisation advancing youth mental health research, policy, and practice, with a representative on GMHAN's Advisory Group. Comparable in youth mental health focus and international convening, but narrower in age-segment focus.

Direct peers

• World Federation for Mental Health: The oldest global mental health organisation (founded 1948), running World Mental Health Day and convening international mental-health policy and advocacy. Directly comparable to GMHAN on global civil-society convening and policy focus.
• United for Global Mental Health: Host organisation of GMHAN and the closest structural peer — a UK-registered charity focused on accelerating the global movement for mental health, including policy influencing at the WHO and UN and convening the world's largest civil society mental health events.
• Movement for Global Mental Health: A global network of individuals and institutions advocating for improved mental health care, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Closely comparable to GMHAN in mission, global-advocacy framing, and network-of-network structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLxjbnMKRfpzfywpTLE57ag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-mental-health-action-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/gmhaninsta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Global Mental Health Action Network