WFMH Congress in Melbourne

As expected, there were many people from Australia and New Zealand, and also the United States. However registrations were also received from Sweden, Mongolia, Jamaica, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Brazil, Iceland, Israel, Ghana, Nigeria, Norway, South Korea, Canada, Russia, Ireland, Finland, Taiwan, South Africa, Japan, The Netherlands, Switzerland, etcetera….In other words, there was a very satisfactory mixture of backgrounds, viewpoints and ideas.

A Strong Program
Despite the inauspicious circumstances, the organizers carried off an excellent meeting with many high spots. The program was arranged around the theme “Partnerships in Health” and five expansive sub-themes (research and development; economy, productivity, education and information; quality of life and psychiatric disability; age and gender; and multicultural and indigenous mental health). Participants commented on the strength of the plenary sessions and the great variety of workshop sessions. Dr. Shekhar Saxena, Coordinator for Mental Health: Evidence and Research at the World Health Organization, drew attention in the opening plenary to new initiatives in the promotion of mental health and prevention of mental and behavioral disorders. This was an appropriate note on which to start the meeting, as Australia is considered one of the leaders in this rapidly growing field. Later two Australians who have played a major role in establishing this reputation, Professors Helen Herrman and Beverley Raphael, gave detailed reviews of current developments.

Attention to women’s health issues (often a neglected area) was consistent throughout the program and attracted very favorable comment. The well-attended Margaret Mead Lecture was given by Prof. Donna Stewart of the University of Toronto, Canada, on the topic of “Global Initiatives to Improve Women’s Mental Health.” The daily themes covered broad areas of research and many social issues. Workshops were numerous and it was hard for those attending to choose among the concurrent sessions offered. On the last day the organizers kept up the momentum of serious discussion by turning the focus to suicide prevention instead of opting for a “soft” topic as the meeting moved to a close.

The interest of the national and state host governments was evident at the opening of the Congress, which was attended by the Governor General of Australia, the Reverend Dr. Peter Hollingsworth. Speakers at the opening ceremony also included the Minister of Health for the State of Victoria, Bronwyn Pike, and the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Ageing, Kay Patterson. To the pleasure of the WFMH Board, the organizers made a point of welcoming as an honored guest Alan Stoller, the only WFMH President to come from Australia (he held the office in 1964-1965).

During the conference various groups associated with WFMH held informal meetings, taking advantage of this biennial gathering of members. Of particular note, the WFMH Regions held small meetings to bring together members scattered over wide distances who are rarely able to come together.

The Organizing Committee chaired by Professor Graham Burrows deserves special respect for its management of this meeting at such a difficult time, which caused many unanticipated problems and adjustments to the planned program. Megan McQueenie, Executive Director of the host organization, the Mental Health Foundation of Australia, held together the administrative strands over several years and has earned congratulations and a well-deserved rest.

Input from WFMH Collaborating Centers

At the suggestion of the Australian Organizing Committee, a special session to highlight the work of the Federation’s Collaborating Centers was placed on the program before the opening ceremony. It attracted considerable interest, providing an opportunity for Congress participants to learn about the work of four of these Centers. A number of people stayed on for 45 minutes past the allotted time to engage in informal discussion.

The four Collaborating Center representatives that participated were Prof. Brian Robertson from South Africa (the Department of Psychiatry at Cape Town University), Prof. Lorraine Dennerstein (the Office for Gender and Health at Melbourne University), Jorge Aroche, director of STARTTS (the Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Survivors in New South Wales), and Prof. John Copeland (the Institute for Human Ageing at the University of Liverpool, England). Mariano Coello from STARTTS was also present. Board member Max Abbott, Dean of the Faculty of Health at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, was the moderator.

Dates to note in 2003

1 January – Start of the UN International Year of Volunteers, and also the UN International Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations

Are You a WFMH Member?

This number of the Newsletter is going to many friends of the Federation. If you wish to continue receiving it please be sure that your membership is up-to-date. If you are not yet a member, join us now! We need you and you need an NGO (non-governmental organization) accredited as a mental health consultant to the U.N.
Fees for individual membership: developed countries, $35; OECD developing countries, $1 5; life member $500; and library $35 (U.S.). Your inquiries or check should go to
WFMH
1021 Prince Street
Alexandria, Va. 22314-2971
USA
Telephone (703) 838-7543
Fax:(703)519-7648
Email: [email protected] Website: www.wfmh.org

Name and Preferred Title ________________________

Address _______________________________________

Please send payment in U.S. dollars or other internationally exchangeable currency. Payment by credit card is preferred.

The WFMH Newsletter is published by the Secretary General of the World Federation for Mental Health for its members four times a year.
Editor: Elena L. Berger, D. Phil.
Consultant: Prof. Eugene B. Brody, M.D.
Editorial Office: Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital
P.O. Box 6815
Baltimore, Maryland 21285-6815
Telephone 410-938-3180
FAX: 410-938-3183
Email:[email protected]
Website: www.wfmh.org