Transforming mental health for pandemic recovery and social development: recommendations from the PAHO High-Level Commission on Mental Health and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic impact in the Americas, with nearly 3 million fatalities - the highest among all World Health Organization (WHO) Regions.1 The pandemic has also given rise to an unprecedented mental health crisis, leading to a surge in the demand for mental health care that services have struggled to fulfill. Data from the early phase of the pandemic indicate a 35% increase in depressive disorders and a 32% increase in anxiety disorder in Latin America and the Caribbean.