Department of Psychiatry

Faculty of Medicine

Mental Health Responses in a Changing World


Join us for Dalhousie’s Centre for Global Mental Health’s Inaugural Conference.
 

Mental Health Responses in a Changing World 2026:
Innovative Responses to Humanitarian Emergencies


Event Details


Location: Online (registration required)
Date: Friday, July 10, 2026
Time: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Atlantic Standard Time)

Keynote Speaker: Professor Pamela Collins, Chair, Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

About:

Inspired by the World Health Organization’s 2025 World Mental Health Day theme, our conference responds to the urgent global need for effective, evidence-informed, and community-based mental health and psychosocial supports in humanitarian emergencies. The WHO has emphasized the importance of interventions that address immediate mental health needs, foster long-term recovery, and empower individuals and communities to rebuild and thrive.

This inaugural conference will bring together practitioners, researchers, policy makers, students, and community members to enhance communication across the practice, policy, and research sectors. Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, posters, and interactive breakouts, participants will explore innovative mental health responses and technological supports that strengthen community resilience across changing global contexts.

Who is this conference for?

  • Professionals
    • Practitioners and Researchers in the field of mental health (including but not limited to psychiatry, psychology, social work, computer science, environmental studies, and international development studies)
    • Policy makers across diverse sectors
    • Service providers and community-based organizations working in and around the field of supporting people living with mental health challenges and/or mental illness.
  • Students interested in individual, relational and contextual factors related to mental health and/or mental illness.
  • Community members with lived experience, those impacted by community members living with mental health challenges, and advocates.

Conference Learning Objectives

After this event, participants will:

  • Be able to more clearly articulate and identify the mental health and psychosocial needs of people affected by diverse humanitarian emergencies occurring globally
  • Be able to better identify the cross-sector and multi-disciplinary responses that are possible and that draw on existing and or innovative community-based responses and technological advances
  • Be able to better identify the cross-sector and multi-disciplinary mental health promotion and mental illness prevention interventions that are possible for humanitarian settings that draw on existing and or innovative community-based responses and technological advances
  • Be able to implement some of these responses across multiple sectors and diverse contexts
  • Have better knowledge of what information is still required, or questions arising, that could direct future research globally

Program-at-a-Glance

Time Activity
8 - 8:45 a.m. Registrants can join online
9 - 9:15 a.m. Opening and welcome
9:15 - 10 a.m. Keynote presentation:
Prof Pamela Collins
10 - 11 a.m.  Panel discussion responding to Prof Collin’s keynote presentation
11 - 11:20 a.m. Break
11:20 - 12:20 p.m. Tabletop discussion sessions: Share your burning question or bright idea with colleagues for five minutes and then have a rich, engaging conversation!
12:20 - 1:30 p.m. Break
1:30 - 3 p.m. Breakout sessions
3 - 3:15 p.m. Break
3:15 - 3:45 p.m. Reflections and call to action
3:45 - 4 p.m. Closing


Call for Abstracts and Posters

The conference will feature poster presentations and interactive sessions to spark dialogue, build connections, and support knowledge mobilization. Details on how you can participate can be found in our Call for Abstracts and Posters. 

Abstract Submission Deadline: Friday, April 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. AST

Pricing:

  • Early Bird Virtual Price: $50.00 (CAD)
  • Virtual Price after May 29: $70.00 (CAD)

Registration:


Key Dates: 

  • Early Bird Registration: Friday, May 29, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (AST)
  • Final Registration Deadline: Friday, June 12, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (AST)

REGISTER HERE

Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations before the deadline of Friday, June 12, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Atlantic time) will be fully refunded less the processing fee of $10.00 (CAD).

Cancellations received after the deadline of Friday, June 12, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (Atlantic time) will forfeit 100% of the registration charges.

Questions?

Email cgmh@dal.ca