Mental Health
Hepatitis and mental health are closely linked. People with mental health conditions are at higher risk of hepatitis, and hepatitis can cause mental health issues and/or impact a person’s mental health.
However, despite their connection, hepatitis and mental health services are often addressed separately. Many people living with hepatitis do not have access to counselling and other mental health services, which may negatively impact their mental health, as they don’t have support to help understand their diagnosis. People living with mental health conditions are also often unaware they could be affected by hepatitis and are not routinely tested.
To help address this, WHA has co-developed an advocacy briefing with United for Global Mental Health (UGMH) to emphasise the importance of integrating hepatitis and mental health services to make sure that everyone has access to holistic treatment and care. It also includes key priority messages for advocates to amplify to ensure that care is truly person-centred and that no one is left behind.
The briefing calls for:
- Ensure that mental and emotional support is provided to people living with hepatitis and their families.
- Provide access to testing and treatment for viral hepatitis to people accessing mental health services.
- Provide accurate and accessible information regarding hepatitis and mental health to those newly diagnosed of both.
- People with lived experience of mental health and/or hepatitis must be involved in the design of services that support both their physical and mental health.
- Invest in research and data collection that focuses on the link between hepatitis and mental health to better understand gaps in care.
- Champion the role of civil society in hepatitis and mental health responses, as they are uniquely placed to support and respond to their communities’ needs and address stigma and discrimination.
To learn more about hepatitis and mental health, please visit WHA’s e-learning module on this topic here: https://www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/cip-e-learning/
Breaking silos and connecting care: An integrated approach to hepatitis and mental health
On Thursday 4 September 2025, WHA co-hosted a webinar with UGMH to explore the connection between hepatitis and mental health and why addressing both together is true person-centred care. The event explored the challenges facing the integration of hepatitis and mental health services and how different stakeholders can work together to address them.
Co-chaired by Rachel Halford, President, WHA and Yves Miel Zuniga, Policy and Advocacy Advisor, UGMH, speakers included:
- Bright Ansah, hepatitis B patient advocate, #justB storyteller and co-host of the B Heppy podcast by the Hepatitis B Foundation, USA
- Sabína Lužica Brédová, Director, OZ Prima and Dom Svetla Slovensko, Slovakia
- Tung Doan, Executive Director, Lighthouse, Vietnam and Senior Advisor, Y+ Global
- Benjamin Mutuku, Program Officer – Mental Health, LVCT Health, Kenya