Ebo, Titus Oloruntoba ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8104-4050, Osho, Damilola ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2566-0252, Ebo, Dolapo Mary ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5980-3752, Egbon, Eghosasere ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4363-3424, Okesanya, Olalekan John ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3809-4271 and Olawade, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0188-9836 (2026) The impact of policy shifts on mental health innovation, accessibility, and ethical considerations. Journal of Global Health Science, 8. e15.

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Abstract

Mental health policies have historically prioritised treatment over prevention, focusing on symptom management and crisis intervention. Growing recognition of the economic and social burden of untreated psychiatric conditions has prompted a global shift towards prevention-oriented frameworks, accelerating innovation in early detection, digital health, and community-based care. This narrative review examines how the shift from treatment-focused to prevention-oriented mental health policies shapes mental health innovation, with particular attention to early detection technologies, digital interventions, policy-driven funding reallocation, and associated ethical and accessibility challenges. A narrative review of peer-reviewed literature and policy reports published between 2015 and 2025 was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, supplemented by reports from the World Health Organization, National Institute of Mental Health, and other health organisations. Findings were synthesised thematically across 4 key areas: advances in early detection and screening tools; digital mental health solutions; policy-driven funding reallocation; and ethical and accessibility challenges. Prevention-oriented policies have accelerated innovations including artificial intelligence (AI)-driven screening tools, polygenic risk scoring, teletherapy platforms, mobile applications, and virtual reality interventions. Policy-driven funding reallocation has expanded school-based, workplace, and primary care mental health programmes. However, significant disparities in access persist, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Ethical concerns regarding algorithmic bias, data privacy, and stigmatisation associated with predictive risk tools remain insufficiently addressed. A critical policy tension exists between rising prevention investment and the risk of neglecting treatment services for individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). While prevention-oriented mental health policies offer substantial promise, their equitable and ethical implementation requires robust regulatory frameworks for AI, balanced resource allocation between prevention and SMI treatment, and context-sensitive strategies that explicitly address LMIC needs and safeguard ongoing care for individuals with chronic psychiatric conditions.

Keywords
Mental health; Health policy; Preventive psychiatry; Telemedicine; Ethics

Item Type:	Article
Status:	Published
DOI:	10.35500/jghs.2026.8.e15
School/Department:	London Campus
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/15230

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