Resistant Insistent Persistent: A Global Call by Mental Health Nursing Leaders

In recent years, the global mental health landscape has shifted dramatically. Rising rates of mental illness and distress, compounded by geopolitical instability, climate-related trauma and systemic inequities, have placed unprecedented pressure on mental health systems worldwide (World Health Organization 2022, 2025). Amid this crisis, mental health nurses-who comprise nearly half of the global mental health workforce-remain under-recognised, under-resourced and under-represented in global and national leadership and policymaking (World Health Organization 2025; Jackson et al. 2025). The November 2025 Mental Health Nursing Leaders' Summit in Barcelona, Spain, marks a pivotal moment to reclaim visibility, assert disciplinary self-determination and chart a transformative path forward.