Overview
Demand for mental health services is rising worldwide. Globally, there is a workforce shortage of a million mental health professionals. While increasing the supply of a well-trained workforce is vital, equally managing demand through public mental health (PMH) is essential for improving mental health and preventing mental illness at the population level. Psychiatrists can have important leadership roles in PMH to help bridge the gap between mental health care and public health. However, changing clinician behaviour from being solely interventionists to incorporate preventionist approaches requires a culture change.
The session will showcase the recently launched PMH leadership eLearning course by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and produced in partnership with the Public Mental Health Implementation Centre (PMHIC). The eLearning course and its associated communities of practice targeted to psychiatrists and mental health professionals, lay out practical tools for implementing a population-based approach and engaging in PMH leadership within local communities, for example in addressing health inequalities.
Delegates will develop an understanding of the importance of advocacy and leadership in PMH, recognising the pressing need for a cultural shift and in applying PMH principles to their own populations – making the session relevant to the global audience.
Objectives
- To recognise why a culture change from an individualised model of clinical psychiatry to a public health-based approach is essential for clinicians.
- To learn how secondary care specialist services can work with partners to embed a public health-based approach in clinical services.
- To demonstrate how psychiatry curricula and training programs (using the example of the RCPsych PMH leadership course) can help embed a public mental health approach in the training of future psychiatrists and the current workforce.
Speakers
Chair: Professor Kam Bhui, University of Oxford, Oxford
Dr Jude Stansfield, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds
Dr Sarah Markham, King's College London, London
Dr Paul Gilluley, Chief Medical Officer for NEL ICB, London
Professor Subodh Dave, Dean, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London
