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SDC's 10th Anniversary Conference Interim Report past events
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SDC's 10th Anniversary Conference held in October 2007 With Scotland's Future in Mind: Learning from the Past: Shaping the future |
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Its tenth birthday in 2007 prompted SDC to reflect on some of Scotland’s assets and the burgeoning knowledge around good mental health and well being, as well the challenges for the future, and what needs to be done to ensure Scotland flourishes. For these contemplations, SDC used the themes Scotland’s people, places, and purpose to focus on the issues Scotland is likely to face in the future. In June it facilitated a series of roundtable discussions, where issues and challenges were raised around the Scottish identity; the changing nature of communities and what that means for improving our mental health; the perpetuation of economic and social inequalities, and the ways in which these can negatively affect social cohesion; and how individuals create meaning, through work, creativity and spirituality. |
| Much of the discussion was, as Professor Ken Thompson Insights from the Outside: Scotland from an International Perspective states, about how Scotland can best find a working balance between the needs and desires of the individual and the community, retaining the good qualities of the past and adapting for the future. | |
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SDC’s tenth anniversary discussions culminated in the October conference, in Glasgow, which drew connections between the mental health and well being of the people of Scotland and wider social and policy issues. The conference focused on population mental health rather than individual mental health. It took as its starting point that mental health and well being are vital assets which enable communities and individuals to flourish. Where you live, how you do at school, your social networks, your employment status, the characteristics of your workplace and your social status all influence your mental health and well being. |
| Plenary speakers and parallel session presenters at the conference gave delegates a chance to hear about and discuss these ideas on why mental health and well being matters and what are the issues around mental health and well being for people at different stages in their life – e.g. for younger and older people – and in different places and spheres of life. A significant contribution to the debate was made in a presentation on the economic case for investing in mental health improvement by Michael Parsonage. |   |
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The conference included the launch, by Shona Robison, Minster for Public Health, of the discussion paper for the next phase of the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well being (2008-2011): Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland. The Government is asking for individuals’ and organisations’ views on this paper, which can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/201215/0053753.pdf The Minster highlighted that good mental health is fundamental to all health, and the increasing focus in government and in the next phase of the National Programme on tackling inequalities. |
With Scotland’s Future in Mind provided an opportunity for research and experience to be presented on the effects of income inequalities. Professor Richard Wilkinson drew attention to the tendency for more equal societies to enjoy better health and social outcomes and to the close correlation between a country’s social problems and its income inequalities. The conference considered the implications for action to address inequalities in |
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Scotland in order to create a society where everyone can flourish. The debates about inequalities and mental health and well being and considerations for economic and social policies and interventions will be highlighted in a summary conference report, which will be available in the New Year. In the meantime, we hope that you will take this opportunity to look at some of the images produced by the conference. As part of the event SDC engaged a graphic artist Graham Ogilvie to record some of the key points from the discussion in a cartoon format. Please click this link to see a selection of these images Gallery.
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