Challenges and Opportunities in Strengthening the Evidence Base for Mental Health Promotion

Abstract In this article, we explore challenges and opportunities in research oriented to understanding the relations among elements of socio-economic life and mental health (MH) and the development and evaluation of mental health promotion (HP) initiatives. We review the population health intervention research (PHIR) literature and respond to recommendations regarding social determinants of health and health inequities-focused research. We discuss three inter-related issue areas: first, the continued dominance of linear and individually oriented theories within predominantly quantitative research approaches and the underdevelopment of ontological and theoretical perspectives that capture complexity; second, the inconsistent use of measures of socio-economic status and health with a lack of attention to taken for granted assumptions; and third, the continued focus on measuring MH challenges to the neglect of exploring the meaning of MH in a positive sense. We extend recommendations within the PHIR literature by sharing our application of a historical–dialectical ontological perspective within a process of social praxis with diverse Canadian young people with varying degrees of access to socio-economic resources. Young people were engaged to explore the relations among socio-economic processes, young people’s MH and implications for mental HP. We argue that this ontological perspective can support the development of structurally oriented critical qualitative research approaches in PHIR.

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Twenty-One Reasons for Implementing the Act-Belong-Commit—‘ABCs of Mental Health’ Campaign

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182111095 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (21) ◽

pp. 11095

Author(s):

Robert J. Donovan ◽

Vibeke J. Koushede ◽

Catherine F. Drane ◽

Carsten Hinrichsen ◽

Julia Anwar-McHenry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Western Australia ◽

Practical Knowledge ◽

Public Mental Health ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Mental Health Promotion ◽

Health Campaign ◽

Knowledge Based ◽

Health Promotion Campaign

While there has been increased attention worldwide on mental health promotion over the past two decades, what is lacking in many countries around the globe is practical knowledge of what constitutes a population-wide mental health promotion campaign, and how such a campaign can be implemented. This paper provides such knowledge based on the development, implementation and evaluation of the Act-Belong-Commit campaign, the world’s first comprehensive population-wide public mental health promotion campaign which was launched in 2008 in Western Australia. Given the learnings from the full-scale implementation and evaluation of the campaign in Western Australia and its expansion nationally and internationally, along with the continuing and expanding evidence base for the campaign constructs, we crystallise 21 reasons why jurisdictions who wish to achieve the goals of the WHO and adopt the recommendations of the European framework on mental health and wellbeing should consider adopting or adapting Act-Belong-Commit when considering implementing a public mental health promotion campaign.

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