2023 SNF Nostos Conference
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Nostos Conference 2023 was held from 21-23 June 2023 at Athens, Greece. Researchers, practitioners, and activists from various fields came together to discuss the progress of the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Initiative and tackled topics such as loneliness and its effects on mental health; the role of arts, AI, and technology; the importance of support systems; and the mental health challenges faced by specific populations, including young people. This 3-day conference saw strong, successful leaders as speakers and participants, including former President Barack Obama.
At the Nostos Conference, Shuchona Chairperson, Ms. Saima Wazed in her capacity as the Commissioner, Commission for Universal Health spoke at a panel titled Reshaping Priorities: Mental Health and Socioeconomic Well-Being in the Post-Pandemic Era. Ms. Wazed discussed the socio-economic drivers of mental health in general and Bangladesh’s policy-level achievements in mental health. She shared the floor with other esteemed speakers, who were Valentina Ιemmi, Global Mental Health Policy Researcher, John Miller, Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, CNN, Jennifer Uchendu, Founder and Director Sustyvibes, and Marvin Krislov, President, Pace University. The session was moderated by Bronwen Maddox, Director & CEO of Chatham House.
The panelists discussed how the world is reeling from the health, social and economic impacts of multiple crises, rampant economic inflation, and severe climate change. These crises have become inextricably linked with mental health, especially that of vulnerable populations and the young. The services to deal with mental health needs are not enough. Policy makers can play a role in bringing positive changes to affected groups across the globe, considering the scale of the socio-economic drivers of mental ill-health.
