From Margins to Mainstream: 5th World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and the Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders is part of a biennial series which aims to enhance collaboration and build expertise in promoting mental health and wellbeing and preventing illness at national and international levels. It forms the major activity of the Global Consortium for the Advancement of Promotion and Prevention in Mental Health. The Consortium’s previous conferences have been held in Atlanta, London, Auckland and Oslo.
As each of the previous world conferences have done, From Margins to Mainstream will build on and consolidate existing evidence and expand our knowledge about what the new frontiers are in this area.
Conference aims and outcomes
Since the inaugural World Conference held at the Carter Center in Atlanta in 2002, developments in mental health promotion and prevention have been evolving at a rapid rate. Definitions are becoming less contested, and evidence that mental health is determined by socioeconomic factors is building. Strategies for strengthening research, policy and practice in mental health promotion and prevention are being consolidated.
From Margins to Mainstream will confirm that mental health promotion and prevention are no longer at the margins of the health agenda, but rather are firmly established in the mainstream research, policy and practice arenas of various disciplines. Mental health promotion and prevention are concepts which are now being integrated into many conversations taking place amongst those working in education, sport, justice, planning, arts, technology and human rights to name a few.
The conference will attract practitioners, researchers and policy makers from a broad range of sectors providing delegates with examples of good practice across different sectors and highlighting the partnerships that can be created to promote mental health and prevent mental illness.
There is strong evidence indicating that differences in access to socioeconomic resources results in higher levels of mental and physical illness for those who are most disadvantaged. The conference will focus attention on the health inequalities for those at the margins of society as well as strategies which address these health inequalities.
Conference program
Full Program Poster Presenters
The full program can be downloaded here. Before printing please note the document is in A3 size and in full colour.
Conference themes and format
The conference program has been designed to highlight four of the major evidence based determinants of mental health and mental illness – social participation, freedom from violence, freedom from discrimination and increased access to economic resources – and how these determinants can influence health and wellbeing and the prevention of mental disorders.
These determinants underpin the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation’s (VicHealth’s) internationally recognised conceptual framework of action. Integral to this health promotion framework is the desire to reduce health inequalities.
Through an examination of these four determinants, delegates will have the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge and understanding of these concepts and the emerging evidence around their impact on global mental health and wellbeing.
The conference program has also been organised around five methodologies for action which have informed previous World Conferences.
| Determinants | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methodologies | Social participation | Violence | Discrimination | Access to economic resources |
| Theme 1 Research & evaluation of socio economic determinants of mental health |
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| Theme 2 Advocacy policy-making and systems strengthening in mental health promotion and prevention activity |
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| Theme 3 Coalition building across diverse sectors and settings |
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| Theme 4 Program design, implementation and transferability of learnings and practice |
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| Theme 5 Building capacity of workforces, communities and organisations |
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Charter information
A significant outcome of From Margins to Mainstream will be the development of the Melbourne Charter for Mental Health Promotion and the Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders, a statement of common principles and future action and to advance the promotion prevention agenda.
The Charter development is being led by the 2008 Conference Partners, in consultation with conference participants.
Conference presenters have provided input when submitting their abstracts. and this will be reflected in a draft version of the Charter available on at the Charter Plenary on Thursday 11 September. Further recommendations will be gathered through sessions
A final draft will be circulated to all conference participants after the conference. The Conference Partners envisage that the Melbourne Charter will be in the form of a statement of rights and values, identification of the key challenges and an affirmation of strategy, and will provide direction for future action in the promotion of mental health and wellbeing and the prevention of mental illness and behavioural disorders.
