Changing worlds: the case of mental health

This seminar will comprise of four short talks, followed by a panel discussion on the topic of Global Mental Health and Social Justice. 

Moderator: Dr Dominique Behague, Department of Global Health & Social Medicine, King's College London

Participants: 

Prof Nikolas Rose, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's - Global Mental Health: beyond ‘interventions’

Prof Nick Manning,  Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's - MGMH and Global Health Movements – what are these and where are they going?  

Prof Ricardo Araya, Centre for Global Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, King's - SDGs and mental health: time to pause and reflect?

Topics: 

Global Mental Health: beyond ‘interventions' by Prof Nikolas Rose

The recent Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development went a long way towards recognising that “pharmacological and other clinical interventions for mental disorders, although transformative in reducing individual suffering and disability could have limited effects on the population-level burden of mental disorders” Yet the model of ‘intervention’ espoused in some parts of that report and elsewhere in the movement for global mental health often fails to recognise the limits of what can be achieved by such targeted, expert led, time limited forms of engagement into problems whose roots lie deep in the socio-political processes shaping mental health across long time scales in populations characterised by multiple inequalities. This is exacerbated by the model of ‘task shifting’ often advocated to compensate for the weaknesses of such time limited intervention based strategies. In this talk I will explore these problems and some potential alternatives.

MGMH and Global Health Movements – what are these and where are they going? by Prof Nick Manning

"We hope that the Movement for Global Mental Health (MGMH) takes its place alongside other global movements advocating for access to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS and for safe motherhood and child survival, as one of the great public health coalitions of our times.” (Vikram Patel, 2008). This talk will take a sociological look at what we know about the way in which large scale social change happens, and in the case of MGMH whether we can learn from the study of other social movements what the difficulties, opportunities and likely trajectory is for the future of MGMH.

SDGs and mental health: time to pause and reflect? by Prof Ricardo Araya

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) dominate the headlines and have the UN strong pulling force behind them. All want to jump on board regardless as to where the ship is heading to. ‘Sustainable’ development has rightly or wrongly been closely tied to socio-economic factors. The causal association of socio-economic factors and mental health is complex and unclear, but many statements are presented as matter of fact with little evidence in support. The current social and economic models prevailing throughout most of the world point in the direction of an increase in factors detrimental to health and mental health in particular. Is the UN prepared to raise its voice and bring the powerful countries to agree on the measures needed to decrease these ‘mentally toxic’ factors and improve mental health?

This event is free and open to all to attend. 

Register on eventbrite to attend.