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At the International Labour Organization
The ILO has a natural interest in mental health
and other health issues in the workplace. It was very supportive of the
2000-2001 World Mental Health Day campaign, which opened at its headquarters
in Geneva. Cooperation then continued in 2001 under the auspices of Barbara
Murray, ILO Coordinator for Equity Issues, leading to a jointly cosponsored
regional event in Hong Kong at the start of 2002 on the challenges of
job stress and its impact in the workplace. The New Life Psychiatric
Rehabilitation Association was the local organizer, working with the
ILO and WFMH to produce a program relevant to regional employers. In
conjunction with the meeting the Federation received an ILO grant in
2001 that enabled some of the WFMH regions to hold related activities.
Information was gathered from them by the Finnish Mental Health Association,
which prepared a small publication for the Hong Kong conference. WFMH
welcomed the opportunity to work more closely with a UN agency that is
outside the health field but appreciates the relevance of health issues
to all people at work, including issues that affect people who have experienced
mental illness.
Goals Two and Three
Promotion and Prevention
— To
promote mental health and optimal functioning
— To prevent mental,
neurological and psychosocial disorders
Goals Two and Three (promotion and prevention)
are often considered together because of their close aims
in improving public health. This
was the case at the Inaugural World Conference on “The Promotion of Mental
Health and Prevention of Mental Disorders” held on 5-8 December 2000
at The Carter Center, Atlanta, USA. The successful meeting
to highlight progress in research was a program of the World
Federation for Mental
Health in collaboration with The Clifford Beers Foundation
of the UK. It was intended as the first in a series of biennial
meetings, to be
held alternately with WFMH Congresses. Follow-up to the December
event took place during 2001 and attention turned to planning
the second international
conference in London on 11-13 September 2002, organized by
WFMH and The Clifford Beers Foundation in collaboration with
The Carter Center, and
cosponsored by WHO.
The conferences are designed to strengthen the place of promotion and
prevention in public mental health, alongside treatment and care. They
bring together researchers and other professionals, those responsible
for public health policy and national or local program development, and
people engaged in advocacy on these matters. The areas covered are broad-based,
ranging from prenatal and infant care to school-based programs, workplace
issues and programs for older persons. International participants encourage
recognition of cultural variations, so that advances in research can
be adapted and implemented in different parts of the world.
Beverly Long
The Federation’s longstanding interest in prevention has been carried
forward by an International Consortium headed by Beverly Long (chair),
Sheppard Kellam and Pat Mrazek. They were founding members of the Biennial
Conference Committee, along with Michael Murray and Clemens Hosman of
The Clifford Beers Foundation and Gregory Fricchione, director of The
Carter Center Mental Health Program. Professor Kellam also heads a WFMH
Collaborating Center, the Society for Prevention Research, which is supportive
of program developments. The Biennial Conference Committee held a planning
meeting in London in February, 2001, and came together again in Geneva
in December. Most of its members participated in a WHO meeting on 28-30
November on aspects of research on the effectiveness of prevention in
mental health.
back to 2001 Annual Report
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