The Sixth World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and ...

the SIXTH WORLD
CONFERENCE
on the PROMOTION of MENTAL HEALTH
and PREVENTION of MENTAL and
BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS
ADDRESSING IMBALANCES:
PROMOTING EQUITY in MENTAL HEALTH
NOVEMBER 17-19, 2010 at the OMNI
SHOREHAM in WASHINGTON, DC
PROCEEDINGS REPORT
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This publication was produced by Education Development Center, Inc. under contract
HHSN271201100320P with the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD. Its contents are solely the
responsibility of the authors/speakers and do not necessarily represent the official views of the
National Institute of Mental Health.
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the SIXTH WORLD CONFERENCE on the PROMOTION of MENTAL HEALTH and PREVENTION of MENTAL
and BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISORDERS: ADDRESSING IMBALANCES: PROMOTING EQUITY in MENTAL
HEALTH
Co-Hosts:
Education Development Center, Inc.
<strong>World</strong> Federation for Mental Health
<strong>The</strong> Clifford Beers Foundation
<strong>The</strong> Carter Center
Major Supporters:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Mental Health Commission of Canada
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Indian Health Services
Co-Sponsors
<strong>World</strong> Health Organization
Pan American Health Organization
International Union for Health Promotion and Education
Scientific Committee Members:
David V. McQueen, Chair
Thomas H. Bornemann
Jerry Reed
L. Patt Franciosi
Helen Herrman
Clemens M. H. Hosman
Michael Murray
Charles G. Ray
Elena Berger
Margaret Barry
Mindy Fullilove
Luiz Augusto Cassanha Galvão
Mark T. Greenberg
Melanie E. King
Carl Lakaski
Vikram Patel
Jeffrey Reading
Gail Ritchie
Shekhar Saxena
Sylvie Stachenko
Ken Thompson
Cheryl Vince Whitman
Mark Wiest
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Report on the Proceedings
Nearly 500 attendees, presenters, and keynote speakers from 41 countries participated, with
representation from Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong
Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore,
South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, U.K.,
U.S, and Zimbabwe.
Registrants included researchers, scientists, and practitioners in health, mental health, or other social
service, as well as policy makers and educators.
Scholarships were provided for 17 attendees from Canada, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Serbia, South
Africa, Sri Lanka, Zambia, and the U.S.
Program
<strong>The</strong> theme of the <strong>Sixth</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on the Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention of Mental
and Behavioral Disorders, held November 17-19 in Washington, DC, was Addressing Imbalances:
Promoting Equity in Mental Health. Almost 500 researchers, scientists, practitioners, government officials,
policy makers, and educators from 41 countries gathered for three days of workshops to report findings,
share research, discuss policies, and recommend future actions for the field.
Keynote speakers included Ms. Pamela Hyde, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Dr.
Leslie Ramsammy, Minister of Health of Guyana; Mr. Kjell Bondevik, founder and President of the Oslo
Center for Human Rights, and former Prime Minister of Norway; and Dr. Shekhar Saxena, Programme
Manager in the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the <strong>World</strong> Health Organization
(WHO).
In her welcome to participants, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter reflected on the decade since the first
conference, which was held in the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia:
Since the conference began, we have seen a growing awareness of the need for and benefits of
mental health promotion, reaching all people in the settings where they live, learn, and work, to
safeguard and develop positive mental health. We have increasingly come to appreciate that
there can be no health without mental health—at any age…. We also have come to know that the
sooner we recognize the potential of a mental health problem and intervene early, the more likely
we can prevent longer-term mental disorders.
Mrs. Carter concluded, “Together, we can pave the way to a future where attention to mental health is
free from stigma and discrimination, where all can receive the services they need, and where there is
parity for addressing physical and mental health.”
<strong>The</strong> conference program focused on advancing the call for action of the Melbourne Charter, which arose
out of the 2008 Fifth <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> in Melbourne, Australia. <strong>The</strong> conference partnering organizations
and participants developed a series of proposed action steps, including protecting indigenous cultures,
ensuring policy is informed by evidence-based practices, eliminating stigma, and engaging communities
to promote mental health and to prevent mental and behavioral disorders.
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<strong>The</strong> Melbourne Charter
<strong>The</strong> Melbourne Charter asserts that mental health and well being are:
• an indivisible part of general health;
• essential for the well being and optimal functioning of individuals, families, communities, and
societies; and
• a fundamental right of every human being, without discrimination.
<strong>The</strong> Melbourne Charter affirms that mental health and well being is:
• of universal relevance;
• most threatened by poor and unequal living conditions, conflict, and violence; and
• a key indicator of a nation’s social and economic development.
<strong>The</strong> Melbourne Charter believes that mental health and well being is:
• everybody’s concern and responsibility;
• best achieved in equitable, just, and non-violent societies; and
• advanced through respectful, participatory means where culture and cultural heritage and
diversity is acknowledged and valued.
<strong>The</strong> Melbourne Charter identifies principles and actions that governments, communities, organizations,
and individuals can take to influence the interconnecting social, economic, cultural, environmental, and
personal factors that influence mental health and well being. For more information about the specific
definitions of mental health and mental illness used in the Charter, and for the full listing of the principles
and actions outlined, please visit our the <strong>Sixth</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> website:
http://wmhconf2010.hhd.org/program/overview.
Keynotes and Plenary Sessions
Keynote and plenary sessions brought together conference participants for high level presentations by
distinguished thought leaders and policy makers from organizations around the world. Drawing on the
latest research and building on the call for action outlined in the Melbourne Charter, speakers focused on
the significant challenges facing individuals and communities throughout the world.
<strong>The</strong> opening session on Wednesday morning featuring Dr. Howard Koh (US Department of Health and
Human Services), Ms. Louise Bradley (Ministry of Health, Canada), Dr. Shekhar Saxena (WHO,
Switzerland), and Dr. Jon Andrus (Pan American Health Organization, US). This panel highlighted the
need for continuing efforts to keep mental health promotion and prevention on the forefront of
international health initiatives.
Dr. Koh spoke about the Healthy People 2020 initiative to achieve health equity, to improve quality of life
across the lifespan, and to create environments that promote health. Mental health is an integral part of
the equation. Ms. Bradley described the Mental Health Commission in Canada, created in 2007,
addressing primary concerns. <strong>The</strong> Commission launched Opening Minds, an initiative to reduce the
stigma of mental health, in 2009. Dr. Saxena focused on the need to reduce the burden of mental health
disorders worldwide through promotion and prevention at the policy level. Health is a basic human right,
he emphasized, and mental health is integral to health. Dr. Andrus also emphasized that mental health is
an inseparable component of health and that PAHO considers it a top priority. An important strategy for
PAHO involves addressing the treatment gap and working through primary health care systems to protect
positive health conditions.
Following the panel discussion, Sir Mason Durie (New Zealand Mental Health Foundation, New Zealand)
introduced the conference theme, Addressing imbalances: Promoting equity in mental health. He
outlined many of the challenges that face international communities, and emphasized the disparities that
need to be addressed throughout the world. <strong>The</strong>se include income; access to goods and services;
cultural alienation, particularly for indigenous populations; and workforce development.
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Compounding these disparities are the effects of both natural and man-made disasters, he added. Events
such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and oil spills have had severe economic and ecological impacts. War and
conflict have contributed stress and turmoil to already disadvantaged areas, as have the effects of
population increases and climate change. <strong>The</strong>refore, according to Dr. Durie, addressing disparities in
health and mental health requires not only responding to immediate needs, but also promoting resilience
and encouraging participation through family and community to bridge the gaps.
On Thursday, SAMHSA’s Administrator Pamela Hyde welcomed participants with an announcement of
new data from the Healthy Adults project, highlighting research and findings on mental health promotion
in the United States. According to Ms. Hyde, facing the challenges of mental illness and behavioral health
disorders requires addressing issues, including substance abuse and suicide, with evidence-based
practices rooted in clear data. SAMHSA will be working in alignment with the Affordable Health Care Act
to translate research into practice, disseminate information, and implement programs, through measures
such as capacity building and workforce development, for wide-scale adoption. Prevention, treatment,
and recovery are the key steps.
Tanya Brown followed with a personal recounting of her struggles with depression and addiction, which
had begun in her early teens. After the tragic death of her sister, Nicole, these struggles intensified. She
emphasized that recovery can only begin with self-awareness. Prevention also requires insight and
understanding. She urged participants to fight stigma by continuing to speak publicly about mental health
issues, recognizing resiliency, and raising awareness of pathways for recovery.
<strong>The</strong> afternoon session on Indigenous & Aboriginal Mental Health was led by Dr. Rose Weahkee from the
US Indian Health Service Headquarters Division of Behavioral Health and Dr. Michael DeGagné from the
Aboriginal Healing Foundation in Canada. <strong>The</strong>y spoke about the effects of historical trauma in native
populations in North America, stressing the importance of incorporating traditional practices and cultural
understanding to promote healing and well being, not only for individuals, but also in communities. <strong>The</strong>
legacy of the Indian boarding schools in Canada, Dr. DeGagné noted, has included cycles of abuse,
generational lack of parenting skills, and substance abuse, as children were forced to attend the boarding
schools at a young age. He highlighted the use of traditional drumming sessions in one community, which
succeeded in engaging troubled tribal members where other methods had not.
On Friday, November 19, the program opened with Professor Helen Herrman (WHO Collaborating
Centre, Australia) and Mr. Michael Murray (Clifford Beers Foundation, United Kingdom) who presented a
report from the Global Consortium for Advancement of Promotion and Prevention in Mental Health. <strong>The</strong>
Consortium acts as a vehicle for information sharing and collaboration, to encourage communication and
cooperation for promotion and prevention. A primary task has been to look at the need for mental health
promotion and prevention in low-to-middle income countries and for indigenous and disadvantaged
populations and communities in all countries.
One key question under consideration by the Consortium is how to balance resources for the promotion
of good mental health and healthy communities with the needs of people with mental health problems and
disorders. Additional issues to be addressed, Prof. Herrman noted, include the kind of partnerships and
structural and organizational changes that will be needed to effect change moving forward. In relation to
these issues, Mr. Michael Murray spoke about planning for the next conference, scheduled for 2012 in
Perth, Australia. Noting how the conference series has evolved since its inauguration at the Carter Center
in Atlanta, 2000, he encouraged current attendees to consider ways to involve an even wider range of
participants.
Next on the program was the plenary session, Responding to Natural and Human-made Disasters, given
by Dr. Barbara Lopes Cardozo from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Cardozo
focused on the traumatic effects on mental health caused by wars and violent conflict, which according to
data from the CDC, can be as significant as with natural disasters. <strong>The</strong> effects may include anxiety
disorders, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); mood disorders, such as depression; and the
exacerbation of pre-existing mental disorders. Cultural differences in how disorders are manifested are
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also significant. Research also shows that these disasters may also profoundly affect relief and aid
workers. Dr. Cardozo stressed that more research and evaluation of interventions are needed to ensure
best practices in prevention and treatment.
Bringing attendees together to close the program on Friday, Professor Margaret Barry (WHO
Collaborating Centre, Ireland) provided an historical perspective of what has been done in the past
decade to promote equity in mental health. Within the framework of the Melbourne Charter, she reviewed
key research and publications that have defined and addressed inequities in mental health. She also
provided an overview of the findings and dialogues generated over the three-day conference, touching on
aspects of each strategy, and pulling together the threads from the keynote addresses.
Prof. Barry emphasized the need to embrace the shift to a population approach in the field, working
across all sectors, and bridging the gap with mental health specialists who work on an individual basis.
Actions critical to this process, she noted, are including a wider set of partners, reforming the agenda with
stakeholders, and pushing ahead with advocacy and communications, particularly for workforce
development. “We need to engage people around imagining what a mentally healthy society would look
like,” she stressed. To do so, mental health must be put higher on the global policy agenda, moving to the
future. She concluded, “We are sailing in the right direction—we need to change the size of the fleet.”
<strong>The</strong> conference ended with an address from Dr. Luther Luedtke, President and CEO of EDC, the incountry
co-host of the conference. Dr. Luedtke thanked conference attendees and presenters for their
participation, and encouraged them to continue the exchange of ideas for mental health promotion and
prevention after the conference.
Strategies and <strong>The</strong>mes
In addition to the overall theme, Addressing Imbalances: Promoting Equity in Mental Health, the <strong>Sixth</strong>
<strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> was organized around five key strategies:
1. Influencing Policy and the Role of Advocacy
2. Reporting on Research on Promotion and Prevention
3. Developing Stakeholder Partnerships
4. Implementing Effective Programs
5. Developing an Effective Workforce for Promotion and Prevention
Within these strategies, workshops and presentations were also grouped by specific theme, allowing
presenters and participants to create dialogues and share experience and research in topical areas.
<strong>The</strong>se major themes echoed the main principles of the Melbourne Charter.
1. Promoting Mental Health and Community Well Being
2. Exploring Social and Economic Connections to Mental Health
3. Protecting Human Rights, Preventing Discrimination, and Promoting Diversity
4. Preventing Mental Health Disorders
5. Healing from Adverse Experiences and Trauma
Keynote presentations provided the springboard for the breakout sessions within each strategy.
Workshops were further grouped by topics, allowing attendees and presenters to experience a
collaborative discussion of the themes. A brief review of the keynote and plenary addresses for each
strategy is provided below. <strong>The</strong> full conference program and abstract books are available at the
conference website: http://wmhconf2010.hhd.org/program.
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Strategy 1: Influencing Policy and the Role of Advocacy
Former Prime Minister Kjell Bondevik (Norway), Senator Gordon Smith (US), Senator Michael Kirby
(Canada), and Dr. Shekhar Saxena (WHO, Switzerland) began the session with a panel discussion
focusing on advocacy as a means of effecting policy for mental health promotion and prevention. Mr.
Bondevik spoke of his personal experiences with depression during his term as Prime Minister of Norway,
and how he learned the value of speaking out about mental health issues to reduce stigma. He
acknowledged the effects of stress and grief and the real impact they have on health and well being.
Continuing this personal thread, Sen. Smith discussed how the suicide of his 22-year-old son became the
impetus for landmark legislation in the US on youth suicide prevention and early intervention , known as
the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act. Advocacy, he said, happened one legislator at a time. Most
important, he added, was “putting a human face on a cause that affects too many people.”
Sen. Kirby discussed the initiatives in Canada to address issues of mental health, particularly for the first
national study of these issues. Out of the Shadows at Last, the final report of the study, was released in
May, 2006. Sen. Kirby noted that all eleven members of the committee had first-hand experience in their
families with the issues of mental health. Even though they had all known each other for a long time, they
had never discussed their personal experiences, indicating how strong the silence has been around
mental health issues. What is most important, he emphasized, is the need to create a social movement—
to rally the troops to this most important cause.
Dr. Saxena called for people to stand out and advocate, to become champions to enact change. Mental
health is a human rights issue for those who suffer from mental illness and their families. Moreover, the
impact of natural disasters, such as the tsunami in Indonesia or the floods in Pakistan, and military
conflict create increasing needs as people cope with the consequences of these events. <strong>The</strong>se events,
however, can also create the opportunity to advocate for change, bringing these needs to the forefront
through media attention and education.
Strategy 1 breakout sessions included a symposium on New and Emerging Approaches to Mental Health
Promotion. Additional session topics included Interpretations of symptoms of mental health problems by
black parents and youth in economically distressed communities, Behavioral health best practices for
indigenous populations, Developing and implementing national strategies for suicide prevention, and
North-South partnerships for the promotion of mental health.
Strategy 2: Reporting on Research on Promotion and Prevention
Professor Corey Keyes (US) and Dr. Carl Bell (US) began the session with presentations on research on
promotion and prevention. Prof. Keyes highlighted research looking at models of mental health in relation
to mental illness as a continuum from “flourishing” to “languishing.” In addition, results from research with
college students and a separate study of twins indicate that there is a strong genetic disposition for
positive mental health as well as for mental illness. Despite this component, positive mental health is
malleable, he noted. Moreover, the absence of mental illness does not equate to good mental health nor
does the presence of mental illness equate to poor mental health. <strong>The</strong> implication is that promoting and
protecting good mental health is essential to well being.
Dr. Bell focused on early prevention, drawing on research from Preventing Mental, Emotional, and
Behavioral Disorders Among Young People, a 2009 report from the National Research Council and the
Institute of Medicine, which indicated that mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders are developmental.
<strong>The</strong> report found that risk factors are not predictive factors due to the presence of protective factors in the
prevention of mental illness. Based on these findings, Dr. Bell commented on the need for a paradigm
shift in approaching mental illness through early prevention and mental health promotion rather than only
treating disorders as they manifest later in the life-course. Looking at factors such as resiliency,
developmental competence, and social inclusion, early intervention for individuals and families show
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positive preventative effects. In multiple randomized trials, he noted, training and support for parents have
demonstrated benefits in strengthening families and reducing behavioral problems. Interventions in
schools, such as the Good Behavior Game, can also have significant effects.
Strategy 2 featured four symposia on particular areas of research from Africa, Thailand, the Netherlands,
Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States:
• Does Social-Emotional Learning contribute to positive mental health and social functioning of
youth? An overview of research and evidence-based practice from <strong>The</strong> Netherlands
• Prevention research at the National Institute of Mental Health—From universal to indicated
• Perspectives on implementation of promotion and prevention in the United States
• <strong>The</strong> Pan American Health Organization: Mental health and substance abuse, current situation
and perspectives in Latin America & the Caribbean
<strong>The</strong> NIMH session included presentations on Project ACCEPT in Africa and Thailand to decrease HIV
incidence; <strong>The</strong> North American Prodome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS) on schizophrenia prevention; the
Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode (RAISE) Project; and the Emergency Department-Safety
Assessment and Follow-up Evaluation (ED-SAFE) for suicide detection and prevention. Presentations in
the symposia on promotion and prevention in the US highlighted school-based interventions, such as the
Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATH); parenting and family interventions, including the
implementation of the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) in South Carolina; and using a public health
approach to child mental health.
Additional breakout sessions included a presentation on the special issue of the American Journal of
Public Health (December, 2010) addressing mental health promotion and protection.
Strategy 3: Developing Stakeholder Partnerships
<strong>The</strong> keynote speakers for Strategy 3 were Dr. Eva Jané-Llopis, head of the Chronic Disease and
Wellness Programme at the <strong>World</strong> Economic Forum, and Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, the Honorable Minister
of Health of Guyana. Dr. Jané-Llopis spoke about the need for Public and Private Partnerships (PPPs) to
address mental health. <strong>The</strong> global agenda is driven by economic needs, she noted, and there is mounting
evidence regarding the costs of mental health issues. Mental health concerns – treatment, prevention,
and promotion – have to be championed in terms of benefits and value in a competitive global economy.
“What value,” she asked, “can we give to positive mental health?” Through effective PPPs involving
researchers and evaluators, she suggested, we can increase incentives for health to promote well being,
focusing on resilience to cope with adversity in the face of global challenges such as climate change,
unemployment, and urbanization.
One of the inspirational highlights of the conference was the Honorable Minister of Health Dr. Leslie
Ramsammy’s address, “Let us make a difference together.” Quoting from Mahalia Jackson, Confucius,
and Gandhi, he urged attendees to champion the cause of mental health promotion and prevention.
Mental illness, suicide, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and other social issues increase the burden of
poverty and disease, he continued. “We must bring justice to the hundreds of millions who have been and
who will be condemned to lives of vulnerabilities and poverty, and premature deaths and who will never
reach their lives’ potentials.”
Strategy 3 symposia focused on developing community capacities and educational initiatives
programmatically through partnerships:
• Closing the Gap in Mental Health: Fostering Community Capacity through Community-based
Participatory Research
• National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED): Striving for behavioral
health equity for all individuals, families, and communities
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• Safe Schools/Healthy Students
• SAMHSA’s Division of Prevention, Traumatic Stress, and Special Programs in the Center for
Mental Health Services
Breakout sessions included presentations on <strong>The</strong> Prevention and Wellness Project, Project Launch, the
US/Canada School Mental Health Alliance, and Audible Hearts. Additional topics included psychotherapy
for torture survivors in Northern Iraq, developing resilience in response to bullying in schools, and the
effects of sports and exercise on mental health.
Strategy 4: Implementing Effective Programs
Sir Michael Marmot (UK) and Professor Mark Greenberg (US) opened the Strategy 4 session. Sir Marmot
presented the findings on the social determinants of health and mental health. A review of current
research, he noted, indicates that the risk factors for poor mental health, such as depression, loneliness,
and behavioral problems, are closely tied to socioeconomic and other inequities, particularly low
education, income, and employment. To “close the gap” of inequities in health outcomes, requires
focusing on social justice through interventions starting in early childhood and continuing through
community development and support. Sir Marmot stated, “If you put fairness at the heart of all decision
making, health will improve and health inequalities will diminish.” Policy objectives, he urged, should
include giving every child the best start in life; enabling all children, young people and adults to maximize
their capabilities and have control over their lives; and creating and developing healthy and sustainable
places and communities.”
Prof. Greenberg reviewed current research on effective programs, highlighting the advances that have
been made through empirical validated health (EV) preventive interventions and policies. However, he
noted, there are three major gaps in transforming science to practice: “Knowledge Transfer (what is
known is often not what is adopted)”; “Implementation (what is adopted is not used with fidelity and good
outcomes)”; and “Sustainability (what is used with fidelity is not sustained for a useful period of time).” As
examples for implementing and sustaining effective programs, Prof. Greenberg discussed the
Communities that Care (CTC) model, which created infrastructure to build and nurture decision-making at
the community level. He also highlighted Promoting School-community-university Partnerships to
Enhance Resilience (PROSPER), a program that works within existing systems such as cooperative
extension programs and public schools to involve families and teens.
Strategy 4 symposia focused on a variety of national and international programs:
• Zippy’s Friends: evidence and experience from an international programme promoting children’s
emotional wellbeing
• Mental Health First Aid International
• Universal and targeted approaches to school-based prevention of substance use and mental
health problems
• Strategies to identify, disseminate and support best practices for community healing and wellness
in Indian Country
• International perspectives on implementation of mental health promotion approaches
Additional breakout sessions featured a variety of strategies, including the Laughing Qigong Program in
Taiwan, community mental health literacy, work with youth expelled from California schools, and using
web-based programs for suicide prevention in universities.
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Strategy 5: Developing an Effective Workforce for Promotion and Prevention
On Friday, November 19 th , Clemens Hosman, Professor of Mental Health Promotion and Prevention of
Mental Disorders (the Netherlands), opened the Strategy 5 session by addressing the continuing need for
increased infrastructure and workforce development to build capacity for mental health promotion and
prevention. Reviewing the historical data of the work in this area from the past 100 years, Prof. Hosman
focused on what must be done to move from the concept of promotion and prevention to effective
practice “to get our knowledge to the population and to work with the population to support partnerships.”
<strong>The</strong>re is no one “road map” to improving capacity, he noted, as there are tremendous gaps in economics
and the burden of mental health between countries. According to Prof. Hosman, we must identify and
take advantage of opportunities, recognizing how we can collaborate by leveraging what we have and
learning from what other countries have developed, particularly through accessible databases of effective
programs. In addition, he stressed, we must increase education and training to ensure that successful
programs can be implemented and work to ensure that promotion and prevention are part of the global
health agenda.
Strategy 5 breakout sessions featured two symposia: Building capacity for effective mental health
promotion and Right from the Start: Using Pre-Service Education to Build Workforce Capacity in Early
Childhood and School Settings. Additional presentations included Developing a workforce of preventionand
promotion-minded psychiatrists; Empowering Cambodian women by changing their career pathways:
From risk to respectability; NGO strategic efforts to make mental health promotion “tangible”; and
Teaching teachers to effectively embed strategies that promote positive social emotional learning into
early childhood programs.
Poster Sessions
In addition to the regular program, poster sessions were scheduled during the day on Wednesday,
November 17 and Thursday, November 18. A listing of poster presentations is provided in the program
guide available online: http://wmhconf2010.hhd.org/program.
Looking Ahead
In December, Vijay Ganju, Secretary General and CEO of the <strong>World</strong> Federation for Mental Health
(WFMH), sent a letter to conference participants, thanking them “for making the conference a resounding
success.” Dr. Ganju referred to “Minister Ramsammy’s inspirational speech on the work that we need to
do to make mental health a global priority.” <strong>The</strong> letter included a summary of the pre-conference meeting
of mental health global leaders, Mental Health as a Global Priority: An Implementation Strategy, which
was held on November 16, 2010. <strong>The</strong> consensus from that meeting was that the mental health “story”
needed to be told more effectively:
We need to develop and refine the narrative at three levels: the impact on the lives of individuals;
the systems-level story of the impact on health and social development, reflecting human rights
and social justice perspectives; and the economic impact, underlining the cost-effectiveness and
payoffs of investing in mental health interventions.
Most urgently, he stated, mental health has to become a priority at the highest levels of health policy. A
major step to further this agenda will be to have mental health included in the United Nations Special
Session on Non-Communicable Diseases in September of 2011.
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<strong>The</strong> Seventh <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on the Promotion of Mental Health and the
Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders
<strong>The</strong> Seventh <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on the Promotion of Mental Health and the Prevention of Mental and
Behavioral Disorders will be held in Perth, Australia, October 17-19, 2012. To find out more about this
upcoming conference, please visit the conference website: www.perth2012.org.
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Produced by Education Development Center, Inc.
with funding from the National Institute for Mental Health