2018 Symposium on Global Mental Health

Date 27 Oct 2018

Location Lecture Hall Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy | Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336 Munich

On Saturday, October 27th, more than 100 people gathered for the 10th International Symposium on Global Mental Health. The group of diverse and distinguished speakers discussed the state of mental health in developing countries, reflecting on the past and acknowledging challenges for the future. The speakers came from around the world, sharing personal experiences from their work in India, Ethiopia and Malaysia among other countries. The changing approaches to mental health promotion and mental illness treatment were discussed alongside visions for the future. Many of the speakers stressed how context-specific solutions need to be developed and dismissed the idea of a ‘one size fits all’ model for mental health care. Despite regional differences, international collaboration of the sort of that took part on Saturday, help to advance this agenda.

In the afternoon, participants were invited to partake in workshops, which provoked deeper discussions on specific topics (e.g. ‘Mental Health Research in Developing Regions’). The day wrapped up with a convincing speeches from Dr. Afzal Javed, President Elect of the World Psychiatric Association, and Dr. Wolfgang Krahl, who has organized this symposium since its inception. Dr. Javed argued that it is in the interest of the global community to devote more resources to mental health while Dr. Krahl reflected on his experience and shared some lessons about ‘what works’ and ‘what doesn’t’ in the field of mental health. Overall, the event was a success, embodying the ideal of international exchange across regions and professions.