Time For Change
Keynote presentation at the International eMental Health Forum.
Keynote presentation at the International eMental Health Forum.
Every time we hear about suicide in the TV, radio or social media it has a huge impact on us and our communities. I led academic research into this with a special focus on how the news stories are different when suicide involves online technology.
As well as informing government guidelines on media reporting, this part was published in the peer-reviewed journal New Media and Society.
A big part of the change many of us want to see is a more inclusive society. By reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness, the potential for recovery and integration is enhanced. I was strategic advisor to the governments development of our national plan to work towards this.
How do we ensure people know their rights and can get help making sure they are honoured? It's a challenging one for sure, but human rights are at the centre of modern society and can help address discrimination and foster social inclusion.
I led the evaluation of Korowai Whaimana (The Empowering Cloak) training - the world’s first education program on mental health and human rights by and for people with lived experience.
We often sit in our Mental Health world and wonder why more people don't make use of our services. A lot of the time it's because people don't even know we exist!
I was Principal Investigator on this research with over 100 staff in community services about how they currently support people who may be experiencing anxiety or depression and how this can be improved.