Seminar/Webinar: Global Mental Health and the Research - Policy Interface

Health researchers are increasingly required to act as knowledge brokers; communicating evidence not only through the traditional channels of academic journals and conferences, but to an ever wider range of audiences with differing information needs, and fundamentally to those in decision making positions. Communicating the impact of health research effectively to achieve policy influence is complex, and requires a unique and broad set of skills. These skills, and an understanding of policy processes, are fast becoming essential for health researchers to ensure the implementation and sustainability of their work.

 

This seminar brought together a distinguished panel of researchers and experts working at the interface of research, policy and practice from within the field of global mental health to discuss experiences and priorities in ‘bridging the gap’ between evidence and policy.

 

Professor Ricardo Araya | Professor of Global Mental Health and Co-Director of the Centre for Global Mental Health at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

 

Dr Mary De Silva | Senior Lecturer in Global Mental Health and Deputy Director of the Centre for Global Mental Health at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Dr De Silva shares her experience of working with a panel of global mental health experts to draft and present the UK government All Party Parliamentary Group for Mental Health and Global Health report, ‘Mental Health for Sustainable Development’. She will also discuss preparations for the first ever main meeting of the World Bank on depression in April 2016.

 

Dr Soumitra Pathare | Co-ordinator, Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy at the Indian Law Society, Pune, India (via live link)

In late 2014, a new mental health law and policy for India was approved by the national government. Dr Pathare was a key member of the group working to make this happen. In his presentation, he will discuss what being involved in this process taught him as a researcher about the realities of the policy-making process.

 

Professor Graham Thornicroft | Professor of Global Mental Health at the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College London

Professor Thornicroft will discuss the aim, objectives and importance of the FundaMental SDG campaign, a global initiative aiming to strengthen mental health in the post-2015 development agenda (web link: www.FundaMentalSDG.org).

 

Main Image © 2006 Alfredo L. Fort, Courtesy of Photoshare