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WFMH’S LEADERSHIP IN
PROMOTION & PREVENTION: A BRIEF CHRONOLOGY
Throughout its 59 year history,
the promotion of mental health and prevention of mental and
behavioral disorders have been central elements of WFMH’s work.
Here are some brief examples of WFMH initiatives and
activities that have addressed the Federation’s prevention and
promotion goals:
In September 2004, WFMH and the
World Health Organization (WHO) collaborated on the publication
of “MENTAL HEALTH
PROMOTION: Case Studies
from Countries,” a collection of mental health promotion
programs and activities from grassroots mental health
organizations in 30 countries;
With the
International Labour Organization and the New Life Psychiatric
Rehabilitation Association (HK), WFMH co-sponsored a regional conference on the
challenges of job stress and its impact in the workplace, held
in Hong Kong in February 2002;
In
1995-1996 WFMH’s European Regional Council
represented the mental health interests of European
NGOs in discussions of a proposed European
Commission plan to promote mental health as a
component of a broad based program on health
promotion, education and training. At the end of the
year the WFMH/ERC was invited to become the European
Commission’s liaison office for the European Network
on Mental Health Promotion;
The
1995 WFMH Biennial World Mental Health Congress
(Dublin, Ireland) theme had a major focus on
prevention and promotion with a number of sessions
on topics relating to prevention research,
preventive intervention models and dissemination of knowledge.
From this emphasis evolved efforts to form a WFMH
International Consortium for Prevention including 45
members from 7 regions;
In
1993, in collaboration with the Vermont Conference
on Primary Prevention of Psychopathology, WFMH
created the George W. Albee Lecture on Prevention as
a regular part of the program for future WFMH
biennial world congresses;
In
1989, WFMH formed the International Committee on
Prevention, which was approved by the WFMH Board of
Directors in 1991;
In
1986, the Johns Hopkins Center for Prevention
Research became WFMH’s first Collaborating
Center;
In
February 1986 WFMH co-sponsored, with the National
Autonomous University of Mexico and the Mexican
Committee for Mental Health, a symposium entitled
“Prevention and Education in the Field of Mental
Health: Implications for Latin America”;
One
of the two major themes for the 1985 WFMH Biennial
World Mental Health Congress in Brighton, England,
was “Prevention of Mental and Emotional Disability.”
The other primary theme for the Congress was
“Services for the Chronically Mentally Ill”;
The
August 1975 WFMH World Congress in Copenhagen
included papers on such topics as “Preventive Health
and the Psychology of Economic Growth.”
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2008 WORLD CONFERENCE ON THE
PROMOTION OF MENTAL HEALTH AND PREVENTION OF MENTAL AND
BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS