Once the general objectives and areas for action have been defined in a policy, and once the major strategies and resources have been set out in a plan, aspects of the policy and plan can be translated into one or more programmes. A programme defines the concrete mental health interventions that a population will receive for a particular problem or disorder.

A programme includes the interventions for promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation in the mental health field which will be carried out in the different facilities of the health system or even outside the health system (e.g. workplaces and schools). These interventions should be based on the available evidence on effectiveness, cost and cultural sensitivity.

The first step in developing a mental health programme is to identify the specific issue or problem that it will address. This should be clearly set out as the focus of the programme. Programmes can be developed for people:

ihaving specific disorders (e.g. early treatment for people with depression);

ibelonging to special groups (e.g. indigenous ethnic minorities);

ifacing special risks (e.g. battered women);

ineeding protective factors (e.g. mental health promotion in schoolchildren).

The second step is to set out specific programme objectives, according to the identified issue or problem.

The third step is to choose appropriate interventions to tackle that problem, based on the latest evidence for cost-effective care.

The fourth step is then to describe the specific programme activities that will be required.