At Pullman Hotel on November 10 and 11, 2022
Venkat Raman
Auckland, October 23, 2022
Stakeholders interested in transforming mental health have an amazing opportunity to attend the world-leading Congress in Auckland next month and meet the experts in person.
Experts from governments of nine countries, healthcare organisations, researchers, people with experience and product developers will be among the participants at an international e-mental health conference to be held in Auckland next month.
Organised by the eMental Health International Collaborative (eMHIC), the two-day event will be held on November 10 and 11, 2022 at Pullman Hotel in Auckland City. While the first day will have the physical presence of participants, the second day will be a virtual conference.
Mental Health experts from the USA, Canada, England, Scotland, Sweden, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Philippines will be at the Conference to deliberate on the role of digital technologies to improve access to care and treatment in mental health to help solve the global mental health crisis. The theme of the Conference will be ‘Mental Health’s Transformation – Bringing The Digital Ecosystem To Life.’
A growing concern
eMental Health International Collaborative Executive Director Professor Anil Thapliyal said quoted a World Health Organization estimate as saying that one in eight persons around the world lives with a mental health disorder.
(https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders).
“In New Zealand, we are bombarded daily with news of our growing rates of poor mental health and the strain that our healthcare system is under,” he said.
Digital, a beacon of hope
Adjunct Professor and eMental Health Lead, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), based in Auckland, Professor Thapliyal is also the Chief Executive of Health TRx Limited.
He said that the global mental health crisis is a complex problem, but with the rapid uptake of digital tools improving access to mental health care is transforming our current mental healthcare system.
“There is a digital beacon of hope on the horizon. Experts around the world agree that integrating digital solutions into our existing healthcare systems will make a pivotal difference in the global fight against mental illness. From the post-pandemic response data from various countries around the world, we know that the digital mental health solutions are infinitely scalable and enable promotion, prevention, screening, treatment, and social support to improve mental well-being and recovery,” he said.
Professor Thapliyal said that digitally enabled options provide consumers with more choices, additional support and access to resources when and where they need them most. It also allows healthcare professionals to see hundreds more patients than they can when done face-to-face, reducing long waiting lists and mental distress.
About eMHIC and the Annual Congress
The Congress is an annual initiative of the eMental Health International Collaborative (eMHIC), an international mental health charity headquartered in Auckland, which is on a mission to bring together and connect anyone working in mental health with people leading the way in this transformative field. eMHIC is widely regarded by international stakeholders as the global peak body in the digital mental health domain.
The eMHIC Congress is a once-a-year opportunity to connect with and learn from the world’s leading experts in eMental Health. It is the only gathering of mental health officials from governments around the world focusing on the safe and effective implementation of digital mental health approaches in care pathways.
Professor Thapliyal said that widespread collaboration is imperative to bring the digital mental health ecosystem to life.
The Congress is an opportunity for everyone working in eMental health to come together and collaborate as we all work towards solving the global mental health crisis by co-creating the new digital mental health ecosystem which will ultimately save lives, he said.
“It truly is a global event, and we welcome everyone including those who can contribute by sharing their own lived experiences of poor mental health, those who work in the field, and those who simply want to learn more. We all need to work together to make a difference. Attendees will benefit from hearing about what other countries, healthcare providers and innovative product developers are doing right, and be inspired by the focus on sharing knowledge and collaboratively creating the future of eMental Health,” Professor Thapliyal said.
Some Global Experts
Dr Julie Smith, Clinical Psychologist, Online Educator and UK Bestselling Author: Dr Julie Smith has been a clinical psychologist with the NHS and in private practice for over a decade. She is now on a mission to make mental health education accessible to all. Within three years of beginning this mission, her online audience has grown astronomically to over six million across video and social media platforms. Her videos have clocked around a billion views. Her debut book, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? has been a Number One Sunday Times Bestseller and continues to be the UK’s top-selling non-fiction book of 2022.
Dr Smith will be sharing her key insights into the key role of social media in improving reach, breaking down stigma and increasing access to mental health education.
Patricia Deegan, Lived experience advocate and Founder of Pat Deegan & Associates, USA: For over 30 years, Ms Deegan has been a thought leader and disruptive innovator in the field of behavioural health recovery. Pat Deegan’s Recovery Approach includes the award-winning CommonGround Software, Recovery Academy, Medication Empowerment, Certified Personal Medicine Coaching and the Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation. She is an activist in the survivor movement and has lived her own journey of recovery after being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager. She has held several academic appointments, has numerous publications, and has carried a message of hope for recovery to audiences around the world.
Ms Deegan will present her award-winning Recovery Approach that focuses on the person instead of the illness and offers hope-filled tools, technologies and training for people, families, and providers.
Victoria Hornby, Chief Executive, Mental Health Innovations, UK: Victoria is the Chief Executive Officer of Mental Health Innovations, the charity behind SHOUT – the UK’s first 24/7 crisis text service. Following the establishment of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in November 2017, Ms Hornby launched Shout 85258 in May 2019.
She was recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List 2022 with an OBE for her services to the charitable sector during the Covid pandemic. SHOUT employs several New Zealand volunteers to help meet the ever-growing demand for crisis support in the UK.
She will speak on the incredible work of SHOUT, how their charity managed to reach thousands of children, young people, and adults in need of immediate mental health support during the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to provide lifesaving support to those in need today.
Among the speakers from New Zealand are Andrew Slater, CEO, Whakarongorau, Anna Elders, Clinical Lead, Just A Thought, Dr Tania Wilson, General Manager, ProCare Fresh Minds, Elizabeth Broadbent, Professor of Health Psychology, University of Auckland; Researcher, Soul Machines
The full list of speakers is available on the eMHIC Congress page.
To register, please visit https://emhicglobal.com/emental-health-international-congress-2022/
