🔬Inside the 5 big themes shaping global mental health
Looking beyond the AI frenzy.
Hello hello. Welcome to one of Sanity's most important and popular annual editions – a deep dive into what I believe will be the defining themes in global mental health this year and beyond. I've spent hundreds of hours researching this topic and distilling insights so you don't have to. You can watch this hourlong video presentation at ease (because not everything can be reduced to a hot take; link below), make notes, and write to me with your comments and questions.
1. The unholy trifecta of funding crunch - data darkness - treatment gaps
2. Challenges for regulation - ft. mental health influencers
3. Emerging treatments: the state of play in conventional medication - psychedelics - digital therapeutics
4. AI 2.0 - from a stinking mess to green shoots of sanity
5. Community mental health - human touch at scale
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Watch the video
Why do we need this exercise? Well, because the mental health sector is at a fascinating, confounding crossroads.
On one hand, we are at peak mental health. In our elite, urban bubble, 'awareness' is at a historical high. Technology is threatening to upend the stodgy, notoriously innovation-resistant sector, with little regard for convention (or ethics).
On the other hand, the sector continues to battle historical scourges - from devastating inequities to the civil war/s within the mental health care establishment (to the cost of over-reliance on the US, playing out in real time).
Churn is good, of course. There’s no innovation and progress without conflict. But let’s be honest: whether you're a mental health professional, patient, caregiver,entrepreneur,researcher, student, journalist, or simply a nerd like me, finding clarity, a sense of context and perspective, and connection between the million different, exciting, opposing themes in the mental health sector can be a struggle. And without clarity, it’s impossible to tell whether things are getting better or worse outside of our echo chambers.
Last week, before a small group, I presented this deep dive to offer this sense of clarity and perspective. It made for some amazing conversations. You can now watch the entire presentation here.
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PS: I'll be taking a season break for the next couple weeks. See you on the other side with pieces based on the topics and ideas you've shared with me. If you haven't already told me your interests, do so here.
