Mind Matters: Understanding Diverse Experiences in Mental Health

Many Minds creates connection and community through creative experiences that are joyful, playful and inclusive. Specialising in supporting people with experience of mental ill-health, Many Minds run workshops and create live performance with teams, organisations and communities.

Hear more from Viki Browne (Co-founder) and Many Minds members about how creative community inspires people to live differently. We will discuss how access needs form the centre of a creative process, how creativity, play and peer support impacts wellbeing and how the impact of our work moves beyond the individual sowing seeds of collective change.

Mental health is a hot topic nowadays, particularly in the UK, and rates of mental health conditions are on the rise. You might assume that mental health research is a worldwide priority, right? But in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), it isn’t that simple!

In this talk, we will explain the challenges of researching mental health in LMICs, with a focus on South and Southeast Asia. We will also share some recent work we have been doing in this area on rates and risk factors.

"Captive Minds" delves into the often-overlooked mental health crisis within women's prisons. This talk will illuminate the unique challenges these individuals face, from pre-existing trauma exacerbated by incarceration to the isolating impact of confinement. We will explore the prevalence of mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and PTSD among imprisoned women, highlighting the systemic factors that contribute to their vulnerability. Crucially, this talk will move beyond understanding the problem to explore practical strategies for support, the importance of trauma-informed care, and the potential for rehabilitation through mental health services, ultimately advocating for a more humane and effective approach to the wellbeing of women behind bars.