There is no happiness or health without mental health for all.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwOflXihS-c]
The International Foundation of Research and Education (iFred) and Founder Kathryn Goetzke, hosted ‘The Future of Health’ for the first ever World Happiness Agora. The event brought together leading scientists, educators, innovators, technologists, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and youth to share why and how mental health must be addressed today. The talks were compelling and full of action steps you, as someone who cares about mental health, can take now to create action and movement in your community.
Check out the latest statistics, trends, and evidence-based practices so you can go armed with information and insights to advocate for change in your workplace, government, schools, communities, and more. Learn about the positive return on investment, the need for precision medicine, how the future of technology is aiding the global efforts, and what online communities can do to connect us all. These talks are all free and available online, and we invite you to hear more from people at the World Bank, One Mind at Work, NYC Thrive, Cities Rise, and more.
Our favorite? What each of them gave as their Message of Hope for mental health, as there is so much progress being made and we must celebrate those wins to keep the positive momentum and move the global agenda forward. You can also learn about what not to do during live events via our Blooper video, if you need an extra laugh. Or just head straight to the Youtube Playlist to see them all.
Take a look below, to celebrate and learn from each and every one of these global change makers and see how they are impacting the Future of Health. And remind all in your circles of influence that there simply is no health, without mental health. Please share, to help spread hope with all.
The Talks (with links to speaker bios):
Shekhar Saxena, MD, FRCPsych, DAB – Professor of the Practice of Global Mental Health at Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health
Sheila Dutta, PhD, MPH – Senior Health Specialist at World Bank
Dr. Antonella Santuccione Chadha – Co-founder & CEO of the Women’s Brain Project
Maria Teresa Ferrett, PhD – Chief Scientific Officer at Women’s Brain Project
Barbara Van Dahlen, PhD – Founder and President of Give an Hour™
John M. Grohol, PsyD – Founder and President, PsychCentral
Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD – Clinical Psychologist and Happiness Expert
Garen Staglin – Private equity investor and philanthropist and Founder, One Mind
Moitreyee Sinha, PhD – Founder and CEO, Cities Rise
Gary Belkin, MD, PhD, MPH – Executive Deputy Commissioner of Mental Hygiene at the NYC Health Department
Bill Bernat – Founder, Stay Awesome
Myron Belfer, MD, MPA – Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School and a Senior Associate in Psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital
Kristy Stark, EdM, MA, BCBA – Behavioral Scientist, licensed K-12 Administrator, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Consultant, and Entrepreneur
Kathryn Goetzke, MBA – Lived Experience, Chief Mood Officer at The Mood Factory and Founder of iFred / Hopeful Minds
Professor Sir Graham Thornicroft – British Psychiatrist, Researcher and Professor of Community Psychiatry at the Centre for Global Mental Health and Centre for Implementation Science at King’s College London
Nicole Votruba – Researcher at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London
Dr. Gabriel Ivbijaro, MD – Professor Ivbijaro is a champion for global mental health advocacy and Visiting Professor of Population Mental Health at NOVA University, Lisbon, Portugal
Walter Greenleaf, PhD – Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Stanford University’s MediaX Program, a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, the Director of Technology Strategy at the University of Colorado National Mental Health Innovation Center, and a member of the Board of Directors for Brainstorm: The Stanford Laboratory for Brain Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Rohan Dixit– Founder and CEO, Lief Therapeutics
Tyler Norris, MDiv – Chief Executive Officer of Well Being Trust
Vikram Harshad Patel, MBBS, PhD – The Pershing Square Professor of Global Health in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School
Charlene Sunkel – Founder of Global Mental Health Peer Network, and serves on a number of National Groups and Committees, including: Presidential Working Group on Disability; Ministerial Advisory Committee on Mental Health; Rural Mental Health Campaign; Editorial Advisory Board of the Lancet Psychiatry; Human Rights in Mental Health FGIP; Time To Change Global Governance Group; citiesRISE; WHO Civil Society Working Group on NCDs; Global Mental Health Blueprint Group; Countdown Mental Health, amongst others
Lian Zeitz– Young mental health advocate with lived experience working to make sure all people are supported with dignity, currently leading international youth activities with CitiesRISE
Brooks Kenny – Managing Director at High Lantern Group
What do YOU think is the Future of Health, as it relates to mental health? Do you believe mental health is improving? What brings YOU the most Hope about the world today as it relates to mental health?
Please comment, and share. Help spread the word to make this world happier and healthier for all.
About iFred: The mission of International Foundation for Research and Education on Depression (iFred) is to shine a positive light on depression and eliminate the stigma associated with the disease through prevention, research and education. Its goal is to ensure 100% of the 350 million people affected by depression seek and receive treatment.
iFred is creating a shift in society’s negative perception of depression through positive imagery and branding—establishing the sunflower and color yellow as the international symbols of hope for depression. To further its mission, iFred engages with individuals and organizations to execute high-impact and effective campaigns that educate the public about support and treatment for depression and teaches Hope to young kids through Hopeful Minds. iFred also just launched Hope Training through 7 Cups, a Peer to Peer support app used around the world.
About World Happiness Agora: The World Happiness Agora is the world’s largest, most diverse, polycentric and comprehensive forum of happiness with well-being experts, thought leaders, activist, shapers, and game changers. We are connecting the world through our social media hub and using communications technology to maximize the impact of our social interactions to connect online and offline.