Overview

The world has been experiencing a dramatic economic crisis, which has heightened global sensitivity about the economic impact on the human condition, health and mental health, especially for the poorest of the poor. Most gains from economic growth go to the very top, resulting in reduced job security for workers, instability, loss of community, environmental degradation and violations of human rights, exacerbating levels of inequality.

Of many factors, it is well known that poverty and social exclusion have a significant influence on mental health, affecting most seriously those in low and middle income countries. Even in wealthier nations, there is an increasing gap in the number of people living in poverty, creating conditions that result in negative health and mental health consequences for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. Without education, social support and health care, and other policies that protect the most vulnerable, these disparities continue to grow.

The Conference will address other ways to promote equity in mental health, such as: balancing the emphasis on promotion as well as treatment; achieving parity in reimbursement for care; redressing generations of trauma for indigenous peoples; and recognizing and responding to the interrelationship of physical and mental health.

Building on the foundations created by five previous world conferences and specifically on the call for actions of the Melbourne Charter, Addressing Imbalances: Promoting Equity in Mental Health will focus on the steps that decision makers and practitioners across sectors must take to implement policies and programs that apply the best available evidence to make a difference to the mental health in the lives of millions of people throughout the world.