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News
Photo Story on the Aftermath of the Sri Lankan Civil War
June, 2011, JAFFNA, Sri Lanka|Jeremy Suyker, a freelance journalist, reports from the field on the life of citizens in Jaffna, one of the main cities affected by the civil war in Sri Lanka: "Today Tamils and Muslims have great difficulty earning a living. And Tamils live under significant restrictions, limiting cultural expression as well as social freedom. The Sri Lankan government seems unwilling to improve their quality of life. It’s latent indifference only increases the ongoing injustices and makes the future of these communities very uncertain.." Read more here
Nepal's Maoist Party Hands Over Army to Government
January 2011, KATHMANDU| Soon after the UN's departure from Nepal's peace process, the opposition Maoist party handed over the second division of its People's Liberation Army to the government. The handover marks an important and new stage in Nepal's peace progress.Read more here..
Corruption Continues to Disrupt Guatemala
October 2010, GUATEMALA|Drug trafficking, gang wars and a corrupt government continues to infiltrate Guatemala, further destabilizing a country already riddled with violence and corruption. Read more here..
UN General Assembly Adopts Resolution on Mental Health The UN General Assembly has recently adopted a UN Resolution 2010 "UN Resolution" on global health and foreign policy which, for the first time, highlights mental health as a major area of importance. This is an important sign that governments are starting to recognize mental health as an important development issue.
Furthermore, a new practical guide for Improving Mental Health Systems "improving health systems and services for mental health" brings all the modules of the WHO Mental Health Policy and Service guidance package together in a single guidance document. This was funded by the Principality of Asturias, Spain.
Announcements and Upcoming Events
Archived News & Events
Violence, Trauma & Recovery
May 2011
This workshop presents a critical introduction to current issues in psychological trauma aimed at reviewing research advances and reassessing clinical and public health interventions in response to organized violence, massive traumatic experiences and environmental adversities. Topics include: social and political issues shaping traumatic experience; traumatic memory; the role of culture in shaping individual and collective responses to trauma; critical perspectives in trauma theory and practice; gender issues; intervention models at individual (clinical), community-based and population (public health) levels; policy implications for managing complex emergencies and humanitarian interventions. Participants are expected to review the literature, present summaries of selected readings, and discuss the reviewed materials as required. Case-studies (Guatemala, the occupied Palestinian Territories and/or Nepal) will be presented. Texts: Kirmayer, L. J., Lemelson, R., & Barad, M. (Eds.). (2007). Understanding trauma: Integrating biological, clinical, and cultural perspectives. New York: Cambridge University Press; Shalev, A., Yehuda, R., & McFarlane, A. (Eds.). (2000). International Handbook of Human Response to Trauma. New York: Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers.
Begins: May 4, 2011 (4 weeks)W•F 13h30-16h45, Room 102, Social Studies of Medicine Building, 3647 Peel Street.
For course registration, click here
Global Mental Health Research
May 31- June 3, 2011
The seminar and workshop will provide an introduction to key issues in global mental health research in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Current health system responses to mental health needs will be presented, using WHO Atlas data, regional summaries, and more detailed narratives of case studies from sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Global mental health research requires cross-disciplinary skills and a solid knowledge of the social determinants of mental health, use of research methodologies (both qualitative and quantitative) adapted to resource-poor countries, cross-cultural sensitivity and competency in negotiating roles and expectations with collaborating partners in LMICs. This course will survey: a) the global burden of mental illness; b) poverty, social inequalities and health outcomes; c) connections between macro- and micro-social determinants of mental illness; d) innovative policies and interventions for decentralization of health resources and implementation of community-based care, including packages of care for specific disorders and comprehensive programmes of mental-health care for groups at risk; e) adaptations of research methods across different cultures, regions and levels of development; and f) scaling up the coverage of mental health interventions, financing and related issues. The seminar will include lectures, presentation and discussion of readings by faculty and students, and case study presentations, supplemented by video documentaries and films.
Begins: May 31, 2011 (28 hours) T, W, Th, F 09h00-17h00. Location: TBD
For course registration, click here