World mental health day conference

Join us in person for our world mental health day conference to mark World Mental Health Day.

It's a chance to connect, learn, and share insights about mental health. The morning will focus on physical health inequalities and excess mortality in people with serious mental illness, whilst the afternoon will focus on the importance of the arts in both promoting understanding of mental health and illness, and facilitating recovery.

Agenda

Registration and refreshments, 9am to 9:20am

Opening of the morning session: Mind and body and health inequalities, 9:20am to 9:30am

Gemma Craig, deputy chief nurse

Serious mental illness, physical health inequalities and excess mortality, 9:30am to 10am

Siobhan Gee, clinical director, mind and body programme

Siobhan will illustrate the excess mortality faced by patients with severe mental health conditions, and how the mind and body programme is responding to this urgent need. Many historic and ongoing care transformation initiatives have resulted in improved physical and mental patient outcomes, as well as patient experience, but there is still a long way to go to embed integrated care in our Trust and across South East London.

The life and death of Kevin – a man with schizophrenia, 10am to 10:30am

Aynslie Cunningham, mental health nurse specialist

Anyslie will tell the story of Kevin, a man referred to her with advanced lung cancer and the challenges that he faced in accessing care as result of his long history of schizophrenia.

Refreshment break, 10:30am to 10:45am

Physical healthcare pathway design – overcoming the barriers to accessing care, 10:45am to 11:30am

A panel of experts will discuss the challenges, and progress towards patients with severe mental health conditions accessing and adhering to the lung cancer pathway, with insights from their new and vital research to the barriers this patient population face across care.

Chronic pain and integrated neighbourhood care - the PEACS Project, 11:30am to 12:15pm

Amy Jackson, Angela Price, and Sarfraz Jeraj

Hear from Angela Price, who co-produced a transformative clinical pathway for chronic pain sufferers in Lambeth, using a holistic approach to care. Clinical psychologist Sarfraz Jeraj will articulate why chronic pain is both a physical and mental health issue, and how a neighbourhood approach to care led to drastically improved patient outcomes.

Lunch with performance from Key Changes, 12:15pm to 1pm

Key Changes is a music charity that provides music and mental health programmes in hospitals and healthcare settings, professional recording studios, community venues, cultural spaces, and online, helping people express themselves, build confidence, and connect through creativity. Its trauma-informed, person-centred approach supports individuals to develop creative and vocational skills while improving confidence, resilience, and social connection.

Opening of the afternoon session: The value of arts and culture in mental health, 1pm to 1:10pm

'Something Glamorous, Something Awkward'. A film followed by Q&As, 1:10pm to 2:10pm

The short film "Something Glamorous, Something Awkward" conveys the story of Mr X who has been in state care most of his life. He builds extraordinary structures out of found objects. As he prepares to leave hospital, his objects become space vehicles to travel across society’s boundaries. He builds for us a vision of his new life. The 25-minute screening will be followed by a facilitated Q&A.

The value of film as a medium for education around mental health, 2:10pm to 3:10pm

Patrick Russell, Chris Godwon, Sharin Baldwin

Storytelling has always been a key method for shaping public perception, and visual media, such as film, has a unique capacity to bring these stories to life; enabling us to better understand issues relating to mental health and illness. Patrick Russell will provide a short introduction to the topic, before a screening of 'Invisible', a short film by Chris Godwin (Inner Eye Productions), commissioned by Dr. Sharin Baldwin (Institute of Health Visiting), to raise awareness of father’s mental health (at least 1 in 10 fathers experience mental health problems around the time of birth).

Refreshment break, 3:10pm to 3:25pm

Comedy for Coping, 3:25pm to 4pm

Dave Chawner

Dave Chawner is a number 1 best selling author, award-winning stand up comedian and mental health campaigner. Drawing on his own experience of anorexia, Dave uses comedy to talk about mental health. In 2021, Dave created 'Comedy for Coping' which teaches stand-up comedy to people with experience of mental ill-health to build confidence, reduce isolation and aid recovery.

Close, 4pm to 4:15pm