The following are track themes for the conference:
Track 1: Clinical, psychology & behavioural sciences: This track focuses on issues related to the prevention, treatment and long-term management of mental health and well-being. Specifically, the track covers advances in psychology, psychiatry and the neurosciences, including new and novel treatment modalities and the interplay between mental and physical health.
Track 2: Technology and innovation: This track focuses on the dramatic increase in technology solutions in MH prevention, self-care and delivery of professional care. This track explores the evidence base and outcomes of this rapid adoption of technology especially during the Coronavirus pandemic and the longer-term implications of this.
Track 3: Policy and Public Health: This track explores the social, political, economic and health systems factors that act as barriers or facilitators to an individual’s or community’s response to the MH pandemic. This may include research on how these issues have been influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic or by the response to it. The track assesses models and efforts to provide appropriate, affordable and acceptable health care for MH. This includes policy analyses as well as cost analyses and other forms of economic evaluation. It additionally explores cross-sectional responses to MH and other societal and structural factors such as poverty, alcohol and drug use, and violence. It also looks at human resource issues and specifically the use of non-mental health specialists and task sharing.
Track 4: Best practices & Programmes: This track gives an opportunity to people involved in initiatives and projects at the coalface of the MH pandemic, including people that are not academics or researchers, to share their valuable and practical experiences with others in the field. The track covers evidence-based policy and practice, and models of prevention, treatment, care and support activities in communities & the workplace.
Track 5: Communications and Community Engagement: Communication in recent times includes a range of tools from traditional tools such as books, radio and television to cell phone apps, and social media. This track will provide a platform to engage with evidence of success and challenges relating to the use of these tools to increase MH literacy and combat stigma and self-stigma.
Cross cutting themes: These are topics, identified by the Programme Committee, that cuts across all tracks. Examples could include:
