#MHForAll Webinar - Allyship & Social Participation
Our #MHForAll webinar on Allyship and Social Participation explored current perspectives on social participation in global mental health, including sharing an update on the currently proposed WHO Resolution on Social Participation for Universal Health Coverage and reflections on allyship, solidarity and power sharing across parts of the complex spectrum of global mental health.
Featured Panellists:
Naro Alonzo, Tagahabi (Psychosocial Support Provider), KERI: Caring for Activists, and GMHAN Environment WG Co-Chair (Philippines)
Lara Brearley, Consultant for the World Health Organization UK
Franco Mascayano, Columbia Psychiatry (USA) & Universidad Nacional Andres Bello (Chile)
Viet Minh Trinh, Director of Programs at Lighthouse Social Enterprise and GMHAN LGBTQI+ leadership group (Vietnam)
Natalie Creary, Regional Director for Europe at the Centre for Public Impact
Anjali Singla, Psychotherapist & Researcher, Insightful Mind Therapy (India)
Session notes:
WHO Resolution on Social Participation for Universal Health Coverage:
At the recent World Health Assembly (WHA77), an important milestone was achieved with the approval of the WHO Resolution on Social Participation for Universal Health Coverage. This resolution marks a significant step towards addressing power imbalances by strengthening civil society capacity to engage more effectively. It aims to foster equitable, diverse and inclusive participation, including from marginalised communities.The approval has sparked enthusiasm within the WHO and member states, signalling a commitment to implement the resolution’s recommendations and translate it into action at a local level.
Lessons from the Heroes Programme:
The HEROES programme, launched in 2020 as an epidemiological study on the mental healthcare workers is an example of a decolonial approach that challenges traditional power dynamics. The programme has been a bottom-up South-led project, with its data centre based in Chile. Through this study, the researchers developed a decolonial approach with three aspects:
Epistemic justice (to include people who are normally not invited)
Pragmatic solidarity (to enable equal collaboration through e.g. making the data platform available for free)
Sovereign acts (to ensure equitable ownership).
This approach not only fosters a more inclusive and equitable research environment but also sets a precedent for global mental health advocates, demonstrating how practical solidarity can drive meaningful change in research and advocacy efforts worldwide.
Allyship and Race Equity in Global Mental Health Advocacy
In the context of global mental health advocacy, allyship plays a crucial role in dismantling systemic barriers and promoting meaningful change. Good allyship involves leveraging one's privilege and power to amplify marginalised voices, sharing the burden of advocacy, and knowing when to step back to allow communities to lead. It requires a commitment to solidarity, actively listening to and learning from communities, and collectively striving towards equity in mental health care on a global scale.
Promoting LGBTQ+ Mental Health Equity Through Decolonial Perspectives
To advance global advocacy efforts we ought to reassess our perceptions of what LGBTQ+ mental health equity means. It's important to acknowledge that colonial powers introduced stigma against sexual orientation and gender identity to many societies they colonised, implanting capitalistic and oppressive ideologies where diversity was once celebrated. For instance, pre-colonial Vietnam embraced diverse sexual and gender identities until western influences imposed stigma. Acknowledging this historical shift is essential to dismantle social-cultural barriers that hinder progress in mental health equity
Empowered Youth Leadership in Global Health
If we really want to engage young people, it is important that we assess what it means to create meaningful roles with clear growth paths and genuinely listen to young voices to act on their input. We need to move away from tokenism and instead ensure that these opportunities are accessible to young people everywhere then we can build from there.
Key takeaways
The key “take-home” messages from the panellists when asked “For a decolonised global mental health future, we must…” included:
Brave the importance of discomfort.
Pursue implementation of the resolution and hold their govts to account so that the lived experiences, especially of those marginalised, shape mental health policies.
Share resources, provide concrete and substantial help to one another.
Ask our queer and trans beneficiaries in their own countries how they define mental health equity.
Better engage with the understanding of the legacy of colonisation.
Recognise that collective justice is a core part of mental health care.
