Rethinking Mental Health

A Gender Transformative Approach

Mental Health Promotion

Mental health promotion often focuses on helping people acquire the knowledge and skills they need to promote and protect their own mental wellbeing or support their peers.

While this is certainly part of the puzzle, it is difficult for someone to protect their own wellbeing if they feel unsafe or are experiencing any form of discrimination

What does it mean to rethink mental health promotion?

Mental health should be seen as a precondition to health in all areas.

Put simply, mental health promotion recognises that social determinants (including gender inequities) impact mental wellbeing. When we apply this lens, we work to develop inclusive and supportive environments that recognise and accommodate diverse needs and strengths.

This resource is an excellent distillation of where we are currently on this journey of placing a gender lens over mental health promotion. It was requested by health planners who wanted more information on how they can involve other business units in a systems approach to mental health promotion.

WHISE has developed a resource for health planning to facilitate links between public health priorities and mental wellbeing, all with a biological sex and/or gender lens.

Download Rethinking Mental Health Promotion (Short version)