Mental Health Policy, Regulation and Professional Standards
How mental health policy and professional regulation can be strengthened across South Asia to ensure safe, ethical, competent and accountable practice.
10 key discussion areas
Thematic areas
Eight themes, one shared horizon
Each theme is a doorway into the questions South Asia must answer by 2030. Explore them, find where your work belongs, and bring your voice to the table.
Community-Based Mental Health Care: Reaching the Unreached
Practical approaches for bringing mental health support closer to people through local health systems, schools, municipalities and community organizations.
12 key discussion areas
Youth, Children and Emerging Mental Health Challenges
Emerging mental health concerns among children and young people, and effective prevention and intervention strategies for a rapidly changing world.
14 key discussion areas
Substance Use, Addiction, Recovery and Mental Health
How substance use, addiction and mental health intersect across South Asia, and how communities can support prevention, treatment and long-term recovery.
12 key discussion areas
Suicide Prevention and Life Connection Strategies
Suicide prevention through the broader concepts of resilience, belonging, social connection and life connection, before individuals reach a crisis point.
14 key discussion areas
Digital Mental Health, Artificial Intelligence and Innovation
Emerging evidence, innovative models and future-oriented ideas: from tele-mental health and AI to locally developed psychosocial approaches.
16 key discussion areas
Research, Indigenous Approaches, Criminal Psychology, Emotional Intelligence and Law
How research, indigenous and locally rooted approaches, criminal psychology, emotional intelligence and legal systems can together deepen understanding, guide prevention and support safer, healthier communities.
15 key discussion areas
Disaster, Climate Change, Humanitarian Crisis and Mental Health
The psychological toll of disasters, climate change and humanitarian crises across South Asia, and how communities and systems can prepare, respond and recover.
12 key discussion areas
Woven through everything
Cross-cutting perspectives
Across all eight thematic areas, the conference holds seven principles constant: the threads that bind every session, panel and workshop.
Evidence & Research
Programs and policies should be informed by credible evidence and continuously evaluated.
Cultural Relevance
Mental health approaches should respect South Asia’s cultural, linguistic, social and spiritual diversity.
Human Rights & Dignity
Every individual receiving mental health support should be treated with respect, confidentiality, autonomy and dignity.
Community Participation
Communities should not only receive mental health programs but actively participate in designing and implementing them.
Lived Experience
People with lived experience of mental health challenges and their families should have meaningful roles in policy, research and service development.
Innovation with Ethics
Technological and clinical innovation should remain guided by safety, professional ethics, privacy and scientific evidence.
Regional Collaboration
South Asian countries can achieve more by sharing knowledge, research, policy experiences, training opportunities and successful models.
Looking towards South Asia 2030
What mental health systems should become
The conference envisions a South Asia where mental health care is no longer limited to specialized institutions or major urban centers. By 2030, systems should progressively become:
Accessible
Services available closer to communities.
Integrated
Mental health included within health, education, workplaces, social protection and humanitarian systems.
Professionally Regulated
Clear standards for education, licensing, ethics and practice.
Community-Based
Prevention, early intervention and follow-up available within communities.
Youth Responsive
Systems designed to address emerging challenges faced by children and young people.
Technology Enabled
Responsible use of digital tools to improve access and quality.
Evidence Informed
Decisions supported by research and measurable outcomes.
Rights Based
Dignity, inclusion and human rights placed at the center of care.
Regionally Connected
Stronger collaboration among South Asian countries and professionals.