Preventive Mental Health Conference 2026

About the Conference

 

Conference Theme

 

The conference will focus on developments relevant to mental health and preventive mental health and will feature expert international and national speakers.

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The 2026 theme is: 'Doing Better – Working together to promote and protect the mental health and wellbeing of people in Australia'.

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Broad approach

 

Mental wellbeing is a vital life asset and the bedrock for a happy, healthy, connected, productive and prosperous nation. Yet, over the last 20 years, we’ve witnessed a dramatic rise in mental ill-health, particularly among young people, and a 31% increase in the levels of disability and premature mortality associated with these conditions [i] [ii]. Mental health and substance use disorders are now the second largest contributor to the burden of disease in Australia and improvements in this area are falling well behind the improvements seen in conditions such as cancers and cardiovascular disease.

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This two-day conference will discuss how we can strengthen efforts to promote mental wellbeing, prevent mental health conditions, and reverse the rising tide of mental ill-health in Australia and its impact on individuals, families, and communities. The conference will bring together community members and public health and mental health researchers, policy makers and practitioners to discuss current policy, services and practice in mental health promotion and preventive mental health in Australia. Conference discussions will consider what’s working and what’s not, what we can do to strengthen the results we are achieving, and how we can better collaborate across settings and sectors to achieve measurable improvement in the mental health and wellbeing of people in Australia. We can do better by working together.

 

[i] ABS (2023) National study of mental health and wellbeing

[ii] AIHW (2024) Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024

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Conference Objectives

 

The objectives of the conference are to:

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• Raise the profile of preventive mental health and mental health promotion in Australia and support the continued growth and development of these fields.

• Build leadership and momentum for collective change.

• Showcase evidence-based and evidence-informed approaches to promotion and prevention in everyday settings and communities.

• Centre the voices of people with lived and living experience of mental ill-health, their carers, and the broader community in mental health promotion and preventive mental health.

• Promote multi-disciplinary collaboration between people in mental health, public health, and other sectors, particularly those working in research, practice, and policy development.

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Target Audience

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The target audience for this conference includes the following groups:

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• Leaders and decision makers working in State/Territory and Federal government mental health commissions, health departments and statutory bodies such as VicHealth, Preventive Health SA, Health and Wellbeing Queensland, and Health Way.

• People with lived and living experience of mental ill-health and those who love and care for them.

• Practitioners, researchers, advocates, and peer workers working in settings that have a role to play in mental health promotion and preventive mental health.

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