Kindling the Flame:
Promoting Mental Health
and Wellbeing
February 21st-23rd, 2007
Hyatt Regency Perth, Western Australia
Conference Report
In the wonderful climate of a West Australian summer the Conference saw individuals
and agencies come together to promote mental health and wellbeing.
Some 300 people attended the international conference to
discuss both local and international best practice and the latest developments
in the promotion
of good mental health.
The Conference was a joint initiative between the Clifford
Beers Foundation and the Mental Health Promotion Action Link, a group that
the Foundation had
helped to establish a number of years ago. As Parliamentary Secretary Health
Sue Ellery said at the opening ceremony, “Partnerships like this one
are integral to the future of health service
delivery in this State” and “We rely on these partnerships to plan
and deliver innovative, cost effective and high-quality health care services”.
The solid and packed three day programme attracted delegates
and speakers from as far away as Europe, USA and Canada and closer to home
from the Singapore,
the eastern states of Australia and New Zealand.
The conference lived up to its name not only in theory but
practice. All in all there were ten key note speakers, three plenary addresses
and one hundred
and two parallel breakout sessions covering all the Conference themes:
- Construct of mental health - what does it mean to be mentally
healthy?
- Influences
on mental health (social determinants and protective factors)
- Who is responsible
for mental health promotion?
- How do you do mental health promotion?
- Mental Health Promotion
2007 and beyond.
The social and emotional wellbeing needs of all delegates
were taken care of by offering healthy food, yoga sessions, river cultural
walks, and lunch
time entertainment in the form of circus acts, musical groups, puppet shows
and massage therapy demonstrations by school children.
Delegates evaluated the Conference in a very positive manner and this event
has set the scene for the Fifth Biennial Conference on the promotion of Mental
Health and the Prevention of Mental and Behavioural Disorders that will take
place in Melbourne in September 2008.
The Conference was supported by:
- Australian Health Promotion Association (WA Branch)
- Auseinet
- beyondblue; the national depression initiative
- Department of Health and Ageing
- Department of Health Western Australia
- Healthway
- INTERCAMHS
- International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE)
- Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
- Public Health Association of Australia (WA Branch)
- Vic Health
- Western Australian Association for Mental Health (WAAMH)
Last updated
May 14, 2007
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