Mental Health Promotion

Last update: 5 October 2012,
by Maureen Bell

This page includes information on the promotion of mental health, and the prevention of mental disorders. Links are divided into Australian and overseas lists and include the full text of a number of books and reports. I've also included documents which deal with public attitudes to mental illness, and the way mental illness is portrayed in the media.

Lists of books and journal articles relating to health promotion in mental health can be found on my bibliographies and reading lists page.

Mental health information for consumers and carers is here.

On my public health page you will find a range of declarations and charters on health promotion

Library members have online access to a number of health promotion journals. You'll find them in the e-Journals A-Z list at the top right of this page.

Health Promotion International
Health Promotion Journal of Australia
Health Promotion Practice

Australian

Evidence-based mental health promotion resource
By Helen Keleher and Rebecca Armstrong. Report for the Department of Human Services and VicHealth, Melbourne, 2006.

GateHouse Project
The Gatehouse Project is a research project aimed at promoting emotional well-being of young people in schools. The Project has been conducted by the Centre for Adolescent Health in Victorian secondary schools since 1996.

How the Australian Media Report and Portray Suicide and Mental Health and Illness: The Case Studies
Part of The Media Monitoring Project: A Baseline Description of How the Australian Media Report and Portray Suicide and Mental Health and Illness, by R Warwick Bloood, Peter Putnis, Trich Payne, Jane Pirkis, Catherine Francis, Kerry McCallum, and Dan Andrew.

Hume & Moreland Community Mental Health Promotion/Prevention Action Plan 2009 -2012
A 3 year partnership project between North West Area Mental Health Service and Hume & Moreland community organisations, residents & the Victorian Government.

The Interrelations of Social Capital with Health and Mental Health : A Discussion Paper
By Michelle Cullen, and Harvey Whitford. Canberra, Mental Health and Special Programs Branch, Department of Health and Ageing, 2001.

Media Monitoring Project: A Baseline Description of How the Australian Media Report and Portray Suicide and Mental Health and Illness
The reports of two companion studies have been published together in this volume. Details below:-

The Centre for Health Program Evaluation, at the University of Melbourne, was contracted by the federal Department of Health and Aged Care to conduct a quantitative study, looking at the extent of reporting of these subjects in the media (J Pirkis et al, A Quantitative Analysis of the Reporting and Portrayal of Suicide, and Mental Health and Illness, in the Australian Media).

The School of Professional Communication at the University of Canberra was contracted to conduct a qualitative study (RW Blood et al, A Qualitative Analysis of the Reporting and Portrayal of Suicide, and Mental Health and Illness, in the Australian Media), looking at the nature of the material provided and how it is characteristically framed.

Mental Health and Illness in the Media: A Review of the Literature
C Francis, J Pirkis, D Dunt and RW Blood, Mental Health and Illness in the Media: A Review of the Literature, Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, Canberra, 2001.

Mental Health Promotion - Department of Health, Victoria, Australia

Mindframe
This is the companion website to the Australian Government's Mindframe National Media Initiative in Australia. The sections of this website have been created to provide access to accurate information about suicide and mental illness and the portrayal of these issues in the news media and on stage and screen in Australia.

MindMatters - Resources
MindMatters is a mental health promotion resource for secondary schools.

National Action Plan for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health 2000
This publication outlines a strategic framework and plan for action to address the promotion, prevention and early intervention priorities and outcomes outlined in the Second National Mental Health Plan.

Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health - A monograph (Monograph 2000)
This document provides the theoretical and conceptual foundation for the National Action Plan for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health and discusses in more detail a number of issues relevant to its implementation.

Social Capital and Mental Health and Well-being
Jennifer A. Welsh and Helen L. Berry. National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University. Paper presented at the Biennial HILDA Survey Research Conference 16-17 July 2009.

Suicide and the Media: A Critical Review
By Jane Pirkis, and R. Warwick Blood. Canberra, Mental Health and Special Programs Branch, Dept. of Health and Aged Care, 2001.

Weaving the Net: Promoting Mental Health and Wellness Through Resilient Communities
Mental Health Council of Australia, November 2006.

Overseas

Action on Stigma: Promoting mental health, ending discrimination at work
London, Department of Health October 2006.

Attitudes to Mental Illness 2003
A report prepared by Taylor Nelson Sofres for the Department of Health in the U.K., in May 2003.

Attitudes to Mental Illness in England 2007
The 2007 survey follows four years after the previous survey, and in this report, the most recent results are compared with those from previous years.

Attitudes to Mental Illness in England 2008

Attitudes to Mental Illness 2009 research report : Department of Health - Publications

Attitudes to mental illness 2010 research report : Department of Health - Publications

Attitudes to Mental Illness - 2011 survey report (NS)
This report presents the findings of a survey of attitudes towards mental illness among adults in England undertaken in 2011. Questions on this topic have been asked since 1994.

Choosing Health: Supporting the physical needs of people with severe mental illness - commissioning framework
Department of Health (U.K.) August 2006. This document provides best practice guidance for, designing, commissioning and monitoring services that will deliver improved physical health and well-being for people with severe mental illness. It describes appropriate leadership for a physical healthcare programme, roles and responsibilities of those involved and provides case studies.

Choosing Mental Health: A Policy Agenda for Mental Health and Public Health
This document was produced by the Mental Health Foundation (U.K.) in March 2005. Public mental health is an emerging field which the Mental Health Foundation has identified as one of its priority areas. It has been described as the art, science and politics of creating a mentally healthy society.

Effective Health Care Bulletin 3 (3) June 1997, Mental Health Promotion in High Risk Groups
These bulletins, based on a systematic review and synthesis of research on the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of health service interventions, are produced by the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York.

Evaluating a Pilot Mental Health Promotion Training Initiative: Promoting Mental Health: Raising Awareness
By Robert Stevenson and Pamela Johnstone. NHS Health Scotland, 2005.

Feeding Minds: The impact of food on mental health
This report lays out the evidence linking trends in food consumption with mental ill-health, and supports the case for an integrated approach to the treatment of mental health problems, identifying nutrition as a key component. Mental Health Foundation, January 2006. A second report, Changing Diets, Changing Minds: How food affects mental well being and behaviour, from Sustain, the alliance for better farming and food, is intended to accompany the Foundation's Feeding Minds report.

Green Exercise home page
Resources from the Green Exercise Rsearch Team at the University of Essex.

IMHPA - Implementing Mental Health Promotion Action
Imhpa is the second phase of the project a European Network for Mental Health Promotion and Mental Disorder Prevention, an international network of expert partners in 30 European countries and 7 international networks and professionals who share the aim of supporting the development and implementation of mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention action across Europe. Some of their publications are available online from this site.

The Impact of Spirituality on Mental Health: A review of the literature
By Deborah Cornah on behalf of the Mental Health Foundation. London, Mental Health Foundation, July 2006. This report reviews the evidence and explores the impact that some expressions of spirituality can have as part of an integrative approach to understanding mental
health and wellbeing.

Liverpool 08 European Capital of Culture: Mental Well-being Impact Assessment
By Helen West, Julie Hanna, Alex Scott-Samuel, and Anthea Cooke. IMPACT, University of Liverpool, Division of Public Health, December 2007. IMPACT were commissioned to undertake a Mental Well-being Impact Assessment (MWIA), piloting the newly developed MWIA toolkit, to identify potential positive and negative impacts on the health and well-being of those directly and indirectly affected by the Capital of Culture programme.

Making it Happen: A Guide to Delivering Mental Health Promotion
Department of Health (U.K.) August 2001.

The mental and physical health outcomes of green exercise
By Jules Pretty, Jo Peacock, Martin Sellens, & Murray Griffin
International Journal of Environmental Health Research October 2005; 15(5): 319 – 337

Mental Health and Work: Impact, Issues and Good Practices
By Gaston Harnois, and Phyllis Gabriel, this document is a joint product of the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organisation.Geneva, 2000.

Mental Health Improvement Research
Resources from Health Scotland. Health Scotland is the national agency for improving health, a Special Health Board in NHS Scotland.

Mental Health Promotion | SAMHSA
Publications from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the United States.

Mental health promotion and mental illness prevention: The economic case
Edited by Martin Knapp, Michael Parsonage and David McDaid. This report looks at 15 forms of prevention and early intervention in mental health to gauge their economic value. It shows that many of these interventions are outstandingly good value for money. London, Centre for Mental Health, April 2011.

Mental Health Promotion and Prevention of Disorders | MHE-SME
Mental Health Europe/Sante Mentale Europe (MHE), is a non governmental organisation committed to the promotion of positive mental health and well-being, the prevention of mental health problems, the improvement of care, advocacy for social inclusion and the protection of the human rights of (ex)users of mental health services and their families and carers. Position papers and other documents are available on this page.

Mental Health Promotion For People With Mental Illness - A Discussion Paper
By Bonnie Pape, and Jean-Pierre Galipeault. Mental Health Promotion Unit of The Public Health Agency of Canada, April 2002.

Mental Health Promotion - Implementing Standard One of the National Service Framework for Mental Health
Briefing Paper 24, produced by The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 28/01/2004.

Mental Health Promotion Think Tank
Resources from the Mental Health Promotion Think Tank - November 4, 2008. Centre for Mental Health Promotion at the University of Toronto.

Mental Health, Resilience and Inequalities: how individuals and communities are affected
This WHO/Europe report, published in 2009, looks at how these factors are interrelated, and their effects – both good and bad – on individuals and communities, as well as the action that needs to be taken.

Mentally Healthy Communities: A Collection of Papers
Canadian Institute for Health Information, ed., Mentally Healthy Communities: A Collection of Papers. Ottawa, Ont.: Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2008.

National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-Being Action Plan 2003-2006
The plan sets out how the major aims and priority areas for action will be taken forward by the National Programme up until 2006. Scottish Executive, September 2003.

Not All in the Mind: The Physical Health of Mental Health Service Users
Radical Mentalities: Briefing Paper 2, by Linda Seymour. Mentality, September 2003. This report, based on qualitative research with service users, looks at user perspectives on all aspects of physical health, from exercise to smoking cessation, and makes a series of recommendations for improving physical health care for people with mental health problems.

Prevention and Promotion in Mental Health
WHO Meeting on Evidence for Prevention and Promotion in Mental Health: Conceptual and Measurement Issues (2001: Geneva, Switzerland). World Health Organization, 2002.

Prevention of Mental Disorders: Effective Interventions and Policy Options: Summary Report
A report of the World Health Organization Deptartment of Mental Health and Substance Abuse; in collaboration with the Prevention Research Centre of the Universities of Nijmegen and Maastricht. World Health Organization, 2004.

Promoting mental health and preventing mental illness: The economic case for investment in Wales
By Lynne Friedli and Michael Parsonage. This report is published by the All Wales Mental Health Promotion Network and co-written by Michael Parsonage of Sainsbury Centre, March 2010. (date on document is October 2009).

Promoting Mental Health: Concepts, Emerging Evidence, Practice.
A report from the World Health Organization, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse in collaboration with the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) and the University of Melbourne. World Health Organization, 2005.

Promoting mental wellbeing through productive and healthy working conditions: guidance for employers
Issued in November 2009 by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE public health guidance 22

Promotion and Education: The Evidence of Mental Health Promotion Effectiveness: Strategies for action
Special edition (2005) of the International Journal of Health Promotion and Education: a multilingual journal, which publishes authoritative peer-reviewed articles and practical information for a world-wide audience of professionals interested in health promotion and health education.

Public Health Agency of Canada - Mental Health Promotion Publications

Public health interventions to promote positive mental health and prevent mental health disorders among adults
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Evidence Briefing, January 2007. This briefing is intended to identify all relevant systematic reviews, syntheses, meta-analyses and review-level papers on non-pharmacological interventions to promote positive mental health and prevent mental health disorders in adults aged over 16.

Reducing Risks for Mental Disorders: Frontiers for Preventive Intervention Research
From the National Academy Press, Reducing Risks for Mental Disorders: Frontiers for Preventive Intervention Research. Patricia J. Mrazek and Robert J. Haggerty, Editors; Committee on Prevention of Mental Disorders, Institute of Medicine, 1994.

Sleep Matters: The Impact Of Sleep On Health And Wellbeing
Sleep Matters provides sound, evidence-based advice on how to improve the quality of your sleep. The report also includes advice on how cognitive behavioural therapy can be more effective in helping people with long-term insomnia than medication, and how NHS policy could be changed to reflect this fact. Written by Dan Robotham, Lauren Chakkalackal and Eva Cyhlarova. London, Mental Health Foundation, January 2011.

Toward Flourishing for All... Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention. Policy Background Paper
By Kathy GermAnn and Paola Ardiles. Commissioned by the Pan-Canadian Steering Committee for Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention. Final version: April 2009.

Toward Flourishing for All... Companion Document. Mental Health Promotion & Mental Illness Prevention Policy in International Jurisdictions
By Kathy GermAnn and Paola Ardiles. Commissioned by the Pan-Canadian Steering Committee for Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention. Final version: April 2009.

Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland: The Future of Mental Health Improvement in Scotland 2008-11
DG Health and Wellbeing, Scottish Government, October, 2007. This paper outlines the proposed future direction for mental health improvement and population mental health in Scotland for 2008-11.

Wellbeing podcasts: Mental Health Foundation
These podcasts were launched at a series of BBC Headroom events. They cover a range of topics, from sleep and relaxation to positive thinking.

wellscotland.info
A mental health promotion site from the Scottish Government.

What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis

What's it Worth Now?
By Michael Parsonage. updates the estimates of social and economic costs given in What's it Worth? The Social and Economic Costs of Mental Health Problems in Scotland (2007), with a particular focus on the employment-related costs of mental ill health, both in work and out of work. The report also reviews the main policies, interventions and other actions that the available evidence shows to be effective in reducing the scale of these work-related costs. London, Centre for Mental Health, April 2011.

Young people & mental health: a systematic review of research on barriers and facilitators
By A Harden, R Rees, J Shepherd, G Brunton, S Oliver, and A Oakley. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London, September 2001. This report is intended to provide a summary of evidence to help develop, implement and evaluate interventions for promoting good mental health amongst young people aged 11 to 21 years.