By establishing and maintaining good working relationships with your local media, you will ensure that mental health issues are covered by the media with accuracy and sensitivity. In addition, your local activities take on global significance and credibility when they include a specific mention linking them to the celebration of World Mental Health Day, sponsored…

Argentina The College of Psychologists (District XIII) and the Argentine Red Cross marked World Mental Health Day with a course for volunteers from fifteen hospitals at the Red Cross psychological response unit in Buenos Aires. In addition, a course on “psychological first aid” was held for the staff at each of the hospitals. Australia The…

Photo credit: Pekka Elomaa Research carried out recently in Finland, my home country, indicated that a person who has experienced injustice once in his or her life is more susceptible to mental ill health than others. Injustice can occur in the childhood home, in the family, at school, within a marriage, at the workplace, and…

Kenya The Division of Mental Health in the Ministry of Health devotes considerable attention to a countrywide mental health campaign, which includes a National Event held each year in a different part of the country to provide local education and encouragement. This year the theme was “Mental Health and Individual Rights.” The Health Minister gave…

England and Wales In 1998 the Health Education Authority decided to keep the theme of its 1997 campaign, “Positive Images, Positive Steps.” This campaign had been so successful in 1997 that the Authority felt it was valuable to keep it going. A new focus was added on challenging discrimination and promoting participation and inclusion as…

Dear Friends, Welcome to Vancouver. The WFMH biennial conference is our opportunity to exchange knowledge, programs and innovative ideas and to discuss future cooperation and new strategies. With your help and dedication, WFMH has furthered its position in the last two years as a leading international organization for mental health. Our efforts to raise awareness…