NIMH 75th Anniversary Symposium: Amplifying Voices and Building Bridges: Toward a More Inclusive Future — Summary

Important themes & takeaways

• Community engagement
  Speakers emphasized the importance of improving health outcomes by engaging the community, including through community-based participatory research which incorporates partnerships with community-based leaders and health workers who provide linkages to care. These efforts help build trust between researchers, providers, and individuals, decrease stigma to seeking care, and inform the successful development and implementation of community-level interventions.
• Inclusivity and diversity
  The symposium featured presentations highlighting research efforts addressing structural inequities to reduce health disparities and improve access to care. Dismantling these barriers and biases in pursuit of social justice helps identify social determinants of health and healthcare reforms that may facilitate equity across communities, as well as cultivate diversity in the mental health research workforce.
• Integrating lived experiences
  The symposium highlighted the importance of integrating the perspectives of people with lived experiences to better understand their needs and improve research quality. Leading by example, the symposium featured thought leaders who shared their personal stories and stressed the importance of embedding lived experience throughout all stages of research. This integration may help foster trust, transparency, and empowerment and may also lead to transformative policy and health care interventions that address mental health disparities, increase equity, and improve behavioral health outcomes.

Conclusion

The second symposium exemplified NIMH’s commitment to initiatives that advance research, policies, and practices to engage diverse perspectives. With an unwavering commitment towards this goal, NIMH continues to spearhead efforts to diminish mental health disparities, promote inclusivity, and instill hope for mental wellbeing in millions of people worldwide.

The Institute’s celebratory series of its 75th anniversary will culminate with a third and final symposium on Friday, September 20, 2024.