South African Psychiatry - November 2018

REPORT
The conversations are initiated through social media
activation, where information and resources are
relayed through visual media content, to create an
accessible and relatable narrative. The second tier
is based on youth-led event activations in various
communities around the world with further on-theground
strategies being implemented throughout
the course of the campaign.
THE KEY FOCUS AREAS OF THIS
CAMPAIGN ARE: TO REDUCE STIGMA,
TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH AS A
FUNDAMENTAL PART OF BEING HUMAN,
TO INTEGRATE YOUNG PEOPLE’S VOICES,
VALUES AND EXPERIENCES INTO PUBLIC
DEBATE IN GLOBAL MENTAL HEALTH AND
TO EDUCATE YOUNG PEOPLE TO TAKE
ACTION TO PROMOTE WELL-BEING IN
THEIR COMMUNITIES.
This Youth Campaign is led by researchers at the
University of Oxford as part of the Wellcome Trustfunded
project, BeGOOD. It is co-designed with The
Young Leaders for The Lancet Global Mental Health
Commission who is an international group of young
people who share a passion for mental health.
Further collaborators are: NCD Child, Sangath, and
CitiesRise.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also attended
the event in support of Global Mental Health, as
an extension of their existing public efforts, as in
the case of their organisation Heads Together. Their
attendance at this event created a lot of media
attention that will hopefully translate into further
awareness in global communities.
In conclusion, this event attempted to engage
government stakeholders, to confirm a level of
commitment to implement and move forward on
the issue of mental health policies and infrastructure
in their respective environments. The event saw
key documents emerge i.e. Global Declaration
on Achieving Equality for Mental Health and
Recommendations to Ministers in workstreams.
These documents were signed by various country
representatives in the hope of application and
implementation.
The next summit is due to be hosted by the
Netherlands and we will certainly be monitoring the
effect of a gathering of this nature.
Chantelle Booysen is a Mental Health Advocate and Youth
Leader. Correspondence: cbooysen2@gmail.com
The summit hosted various work streams and
focused presentations that included Children, Young
People and the Now Generation, Caring Societies:
creating the conditions for inclusion, prevention
and wellbeing, The Economics of, and Investment
in, Mental Health Finance, A Just Society: supporting
societal shifts, tackling stigma and discrimination,
creating inclusive societies, Mental Health Services
around the World as well as Research and the Future
of Mental Health. These break away sessions sought
debate amongst both attendees and presenters.
IN A VERY PROGRESSIVE MOVE, THE UK
PRIME MINISTER APPOINTED THE VERY
FIRST MINISTER IN SUICIDE PREVENTION
FOCUSING ON CREATING STRUCTURAL
PLANS TO REDUCE OR STOP PREVENTABLE
DEATHS. THIS APPOINTMENT WAS MADE
DURING THIS MINISTERIAL SUMMIT WHICH
FURTHER EMPHASISED THE URGENCY
OF GOVERNMENTS TAKING A RIGHTS
BASED APPROACH TO ENSURE THOSE
STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUES GET THE ACCESS, ATTENTION
AND SUPPORT THEY NEED. THIS IS
HOWEVER JUST THE VERY TIP OF THE
ICEBERG IN TERMS OF WHAT IS NEEDED
BUT CERTAINLY A STEP IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
Youth Leaders and representatives from the Youth Campaign for The Lancet
Commission for Global Mental Health on the Friendship Bench, a concept
originating from Zimbabwe
Group photo of The Lancet Commission for Global Mental Health including
the Youth Leaders
36 * SOUTH AFRICAN PSYCHIATRY ISSUE 17 2018