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Conference Chair
Chief Specialist Scientist
South African Medical
Research Council
(SAMRC)
Message from the Chair
Since the mid-20th century, thousands of randomized controlled trials have helped
us build an evidence base for treating and managing mental disorders. We’ve also
made great strides in understanding the complex interplay of social, economic,
political, and biological determinants of mental health. Despite this, the real-world
application of this knowledge—especially in low- and middle-income countries like
South Africa—has lagged dangerously behind.
We know what works. We know why it matters. The question now is: Why aren’t we acting fast enough?
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re one of the few who not only understand the depth of the mental health crisis but feel compelled to be part of the solution.
And that puts you in powerful company. A growing movement—of scientists, practitioners, people with lived experience, policymakers and advocates—is forming. This conference is your chance to join them.
What will it take to close South Africa’s mental health treatment gap? How do we transform strong evidence into bold, sustained action? What frameworks, partnerships, and funding models are needed to make mental health care accessible, equitable, and culturally relevant? These are not rhetorical questions. They are urgent, and they demand your insights, your energy, and your leadership. The 2nd National Mental Health Conference is more than just a meeting. It is a defining moment—a shared commitment to move beyond talk and into transformation. We need rigorous science, yes—but also imaginative thinking, courageous leadership, and cross-sectoral collaboration. Most of all, we need people like you to show up, speak out, and help shape the path forward.
You have a unique perspective. Your voice matters. And your absence will be felt. Please join us if you believe, as we do, that South Africa cannot afford another year of dragging its feet. The time for bold evidence-informed action is now—and this is where it begins.
Anita Padmanabhanunni is a Professor of Psychology and the Dean of the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at the University of the Western Cape. She holds a PhD in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from Rhodes University. Prof. Padmanabhanunni is a National Research Foundation C2-rated researcher, recognized for her established track record in mental health research focusing on trauma, PTSD and promoting psychological resilience. She is an active member of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Association of South Africa and an advocate for the integration of evidence-based mental health care into broader health systems.
Prof Bronwynè Coetzee is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, at Stellenbosch University where she teaches and conducts research and supervision. Her research interests lie at the nexus of health psychology and mental health. Her current research focus is on developing and evaluating scalable, contextually relevant school-based mental health interventions for young people and their caregivers. She is a Y1-rated NRF researcher (2024–2029), a member of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS), and an executive member of the Psychological Society of South Africa’s Division for Research and Methodology.
Bharti Patel is a mental health advocate with over 20 years’ experience in community-based mental health. She is currently the National Executive Director of the South African Federation for Mental Health (SAFMH and passionate about the rights of persons with mental health conditions and promoting mental wellbeing.
She was appointed to serve on the first Mental Health Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) 2013-2020 and serving a second term advocating and providing oversight on the implementation of the Mental Health Policy Framework 2023-2030.
She has a master’s degree in Disability Rights in Africa and serves on various mental health policy and legislation committees.
Dr Nokuthula Mdaka is currently the Head of Clinical Unit for the District Specialist Mental Health Team in the West Rand Health District and a lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand’s Department of Psychiatry. Her areas of interest include public mental health with a particular focus on the prevention of mental illness in the in vulnerable populations and the prevention of disability among psychiatric patients. She obtained a Diploma in Public Health from the University of Pretoria 2024 and an Advanced Certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation with the Foundation for Professional Development in 2025. She is the current National Convenor for the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP).
Dr Wylene Saal is currently a senior lecturer in Psychology at Sol Plaatje University. She holds a PhD in Research Psychology from the University of Stellenbosch, and her work focused on common mental disorders (i.e., major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and alcohol use disorder) among people seeking HIV testing in the Western Cape. Prior to this, she worked as a Research Officer at the Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town. Dr Saal recently focused on research exploring suicidality, stigma, gender-based violence, and mental health among adolescents living with HIV and/ or adolescent mothers. Her research interests include adolescent mental health, maternal mental health, HIV, research methodology and health psychology.
Cassey started at The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) as a volunteer telephone counsellor in the call center helping to man the Suicide Crisis Helpline over 19 years ago. Later, she ran the Call Center and Press, and currently is Operations Director and Board Member. Cassey represents SADAG at national and international conferences, various press and media interviews, workshops and advocacy projects to help fight for patients’ rights and destigmatize mental health across the country. Focusing on various projects including Teen Suicide Prevention School Programme, Rural Outreach Projects, Support Groups, Responsible Reporting initiatives with press and media, Mental Health in the Workplace and advocacy projects including the Life Esidimeni crisis and Medical Aids.
Claudia Sartor is Deputy CEO at the Global Mental Health Peer Network and a global advocacy leader in lived experience, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She leads GMHPN’s Experts by Experience Consultancy Services Unit, which centres lived experience in service delivery and stakeholder engagement. Her work focuses on integrating lived experience into research, advocacy, and mental health systems globally. Claudia also lectures internationally and contributes to key publications promoting the value of lived experience in global mental health. Her interests lie in holistic wellness, recovery, and improving mental health practices.
Bonga Chiliza is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in Durban, South Africa. He is the Editor in Chief of the South African Journal of Psychiatry, President of the African College of Neuropsychopharmacology (AfCNP) and Director of the Africa Global Mental Health Institute (AGMHI). He completed his medical degree and psychiatry specialization at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and his PhD at Stellenbosch University. His research interests include psychosis, trauma and global mental health. Prof Chiliza has received several awards from South African institutions, and research grants from national and international funding agencies. He has published more than 125 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.
Rizwana Roomaney is a research psychologist and associate professor in the department of psychology at Stellenbosch University. Most of her research is conducted in the field of health psychology. She supervises Masters and Doctoral students and teaches research methodology. She is the national delegate for South Africa at the European Health Psychology Society and is the chair of the Health Psychology Division of the Psychological Society of South Africa. Prof Roomaney is an NRF Y1 rated researcher and has obtained several research grants. She is currently a fellow of the EUTPOPIA Young Leadership Academy.
I am a Reader/Associate Professor with the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. As a physician and epidemiologist with training in health economics, I am currently completing a neurology residency program at Barrow Neurological Institute (Phoenix, USA). I hold a PhD in Medicine (Umeå University, Global Public Health, 2016). My research interests, spanning nearly two decades of work in rural South Africa, focus on defining and improving mental and neurological health outcomes among underserved populations and includes collaborative research with traditional healers.
Assoc Prof Tara Carney is employed as a Specialist Scientist (seasoned) in the Mental Health, Alcohol, Substance Use and Tobacco Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council. She has a PhD from Psychiatry and Mental Health Department from the University of Cape Town, where she is an honorary associate professor and teaches various postgraduate and Masters-level courses and is also a senior research associate at the Department of Psychology, University of Johannesburg. She supervises students at both Master and PhD level. She is an associate editor for PLOS Global Health, as well as BMC Public Health as well as a C-rated NRF researcher and currently leads six internationally-funded studies in the Western Cape. Her research interests include the relationship between substance use and health (including well-being as well as disease in terms of health outcomes), as well as biobehavioural interventions for substance use and mental health among adolescents and young people, including significant others such as peers, main caregivers and main partners.
Professor Xanthe Hunt is a member of faculty at Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), an associate professor of global health at Stellenbosch University, and an honorary specialist scientist at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). At AHRI, she is the Mental Health lead, and runs a programme focussed on adolescent mental health. Xanthe holds a PhD in psychology from Stellenbosch University and has postgraduate training from Harvard and Stellenbosch Universities in epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methods. Her expertise is in mental health, violence prevention and intervention, climate and health, and disability. Her current projects focus on using longitudinal datasets to understand the mechanisms of poor mental health in young people.
Prof Neo Morojele is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Johannesburg. Her research interests include alcohol consumption, HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy adherence among people with HIV; and access to treatment for substance use disorders in South Africa. She serves on various journal editorial boards including as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research; Associate Editor for Africa for the Journal of Substance Use; and Associate Editor of the African Journal of Drug and Alcohol Studies. She is the President of the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE) and a member of the International Confederation of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) Research Associations (ICARA). She was a member of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use (STAG-MNS) from 2022-2024.
Associate Professor Goodman Sibeko is a medical doctor with specialist psychiatric training and a PhD in Psychiatry from the University of Cape Town. He serves as Head of the Division of Addiction Psychiatry at UCT, where he leans and contributes to postgraduate teaching at diploma, master’s, and doctoral levels, and as Director and Principal Investigator of the South Africa International Technology Transfer Centre (ITTC), a regional hub supporting drug demand reduction policy and practice. The ITTC, previously funded by the U.S. Department of State and the Colombo Plan, leads national and regional efforts to expand evidence-based interventions and strengthen responses to substance use through policy translation and capacity building.
A/Prof Sibeko is also the Global Scientific Advisor to the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), providing strategic and technical leadership to promote evidence-based practices across prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery globally. His work spans substance use, public mental health, and implementation science, with a particular focus on task-sharing models and community-based interventions for the integrated management of substance use, mental illness, and HIV. He has led several national and regional policy development initiatives, including in collaboration with the African Union, and chaired the 2021 International Addiction Conference, bringing together global stakeholders to advance multidisciplinary approaches to care. He maintains a robust international research and implementation network, advancing innovative, equitable, and scalable solutions for the intersecting public health challenges of mental illness and substance use.