Social Cohesion for Mental Wellbeing 30-31 March 2007 - Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain
ACPP with collaboration of Institute of Child and Adolescents health of
Armeniaworc out and prepare and present Case study at the WHO/HBSC meeting. The
WHO/HBSC Forum process distils policy implications for promoting adolescent
health through action on social, economic and environmental determinants of
health. Adolescence demands particular attention, as many life-lasting health
behaviours areformulated during this period, and ill-health during adolescence
can have lasting impacts on health status. The 2007 process-on social cohesion
for mental wellbeing among adolescents-comprises: case studies on relevant
policies and interventions; a European Forum in Viareggio on 5-6 October;
background papers covering social cohesion for adolescent mental wellbeing
(drawing from the HBSC study), socioeconomic inequities in adolescent mental
health disorders, and the economics of adolescent mental health; a
synthesisreport and policy statement; capacity-building materials; and the
integration of outcomes into ongoing support to Member States by WHO and
partners. WHO/HBSC Forum processes are organized within "The Framework Cooperation
Programme between the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe and
La Regione Toscana", signed on 7 January 2004. They are co-organized by the WHO
Regional Office for Europe, the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children
(HBSC) Network, the Tuscany Region (Italy) and the WHO Collaborating Centre for
Health Promotion Capacity Building in Child and Adolescent Health (Health
Promotion Programme, A. Meyer University Children's Hospital). The WHO
Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion and Public Health Development (Health
Scotland) and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Child and Adolescent Health
Promotion (University of Bielefeld, Germany) are also contributing to the Forum
2007 process. The WHO European Office for Investment for Health and Development,
coordinating entity of the Forum processes, thanks the Government of the Canary
Islands, Spain, for its gracious hosting of WHO/HBSC Forum 2007 case study
review meeting.
The importance of mental health has been recognized by WHO since its origin, and
is reflected by the definition of health in the WHO Constitution as "not merely
the absence of disease or infirmity", but rather, "a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being". These in turn have broadened our understanding of
mental functioning, and of the profound relationship between mental, physical
and social health. Currently it becomes ever more obvious that mental health is
crucial to the overall well-being of individuals, societies and countries. The
commonly accepted figures for MH disorder in the general Child and Adolescent
population is 6-10 % in pre-pubertal children and 10-15 % in adolescents in
non-stressed population. Figures from populations under stress from conflict and
displacement would suggest a higher prevalence of child and adolescent MH problems.
