AVES MH

AVES MH Developing and empowering global lived experience leaders. https://www.gmhpn.org/services.html

Experts by Experience engagement and consultations, document and policy reviews, meet the people who tell their stories about thriving with a mental health condition.

The quality of su***de mortality data is only as good as the people responsible for capturing it, and that responsibilit...
24/07/2026

The quality of su***de mortality data is only as good as the people responsible for capturing it, and that responsibility spans medical certifiers, cause-of-death coders, and the systems that oversee them.

Misclassification and error are not inevitable. They are the predictable result of undertrained staff and insufficient oversight.

Routine training, beginning in medical education and sustained through ongoing in-service programmes, is the practical foundation for data that can actually be trusted.

Data that can be trusted is what prevention policy depends on.

Collecting su***de data is only the beginning. What happens to that data afterward determines whether it translates into...
23/07/2026

Collecting su***de data is only the beginning. What happens to that data afterward determines whether it translates into action.

Routine analysis, disaggregated by s*x, age, and method, allows patterns to emerge and comparisons to be made across contexts.

But the value of that analysis depends on who can access it.

Making data available to policymakers and the public is what connects registration systems to the decisions that shape prevention efforts.

Responsible reporting standards matter here, too. How su***de data is communicated, not just what it contains, has consequences for the people it concerns.

Behind every su***de statistic is a process involving multiple agencies: medical certifiers, civil registries, police, f...
22/07/2026

Behind every su***de statistic is a process involving multiple agencies: medical certifiers, civil registries, police, forensic investigators, and national statistical offices. When those systems do not communicate effectively, the data that should be guiding prevention efforts arrives too late to be actionable.

The human cost of that delay is real. Bereavement support, targeted interventions, and responsive policy all depend on timely, accurate cause-of-death information. Getting the systems right is not an administrative detail. It is foundational to any serious su***de prevention effort.

In our latest SpeakOut podcast, the Chair of our European/Eastern European region Dr Karli Montague-Cardoso is joined by...
21/07/2026

In our latest SpeakOut podcast, the Chair of our European/Eastern European region Dr Karli Montague-Cardoso is joined by Professor Nick Haslam, University of Melbourne, and aves advocates Philani Ama Kinyabo and Esenam Drah to talk about why receiving a diagnostic label can be a mixed blessing.

For many people, a diagnosis can provide clarity, validation and language to better understand their experiences. At the same time, when delivered without compassion, context, or collaboration, diagnostic labels can contribute to stigma, discrimination and a loss of hope or identity.

The panel share their perspectives and experiences and discuss a few things that need to change in order to reduce these potential harms associated with receiving a mishandled diagnosis.

https://youtu.be/VE4wWSc-qis

The globalization of cultural influences, driven by digital technology and social media, is reshaping the landscape in w...
21/07/2026

The globalization of cultural influences, driven by digital technology and social media, is reshaping the landscape in which youth grow up.

But it has not erased the profound ways in which local culture, religion, and tradition shape mental health experience.

Evidence points to something important: how emotions are perceived and expressed is determined by prevailing cultural models, and recognition of one's own and others' emotions tends to be stronger within shared cultural groups.

These are not peripheral considerations. They sit at the center of whether young people recognize distress in themselves, whether they feel able to seek help, and whether the care available to them fits.

Mental health affects millions across Africa, yet nearly 150 million people are living with mental health conditions wit...
20/07/2026

Mental health affects millions across Africa, yet nearly 150 million people are living with mental health conditions without access to the care they need and often suffering in silence.

In this two-part webinar series, aves Mental Health Experts by Experience from across the continent share their lived experiences, challenge stigma, discuss cultural barriers, and advocate for more inclusive, culturally relevant, and sustainable mental health solutions.

These are the powerful conversations that put lived experience at the centre and create the real impact and change within the mental health landscape.

Our two part series is now available on our YouTube channel:

Part 1: https://youtu.be/SMR51Tb1yBo
Featuring experts from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Botswana, and Ghana.

Part 2: https://youtu.be/o5hz6ejIkt8
Featuring experts from South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Malawi.

Thank you to all our advocates for sharing their expertise and to our African chairperson Philani Ama Kinyabo for leading this innitiative.

20 July | Monday Reflections 🤍Not every week begins with energy, confidence, or a clear sense of direction, and that's o...
20/07/2026

20 July | Monday Reflections 🤍

Not every week begins with energy, confidence, or a clear sense of direction, and that's okay.

Sometimes strength looks like pausing, taking a breath, and choosing one small step forward. It doesn't always have to be loud, bold, or visible to others.

Monday Reflections is a weekly series exploring the everyday moments that shape our wellbeing, resilience, inner strength, and personal growth—one reflection at a time.

✨ What's one thing helping you start your week gently?

A gentle start is still a meaningful start.

18/07/2026

This International Nelson Mandela Day reminds us that meaningful change begins with action.

Protecting mental health starts with addressing the social conditions that shape wellbeing, including poverty, inequality, and exclusion. They also shape people’s dignity, opportunities, wellbeing and ability to access the support they need.

This Mandela Day, we honour Madiba’s legacy by choosing compassion, standing with those most affected and taking practical steps, however small, to help create healthier and more caring communities.

It is still in our hands.

Why has youth mental health been so consistently under-prioritized? The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Youth Mental Hea...
17/07/2026

Why has youth mental health been so consistently under-prioritized? The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Youth Mental Health points to stigma as a starting point, but goes further: society's treatment of young people reflects a deeper ambivalence about their needs and their futures.

Over the past two decades, a set of compounding megatrends has taken hold. Climate inaction, an unsafe digital environment, insecure employment, unaffordable housing, and growing intergenerational inequality have eroded both economic security and hope.

In lower-income contexts, these sit alongside even more immediate threats: conflict, severe poverty, and food insecurity that shape mental health as profoundly as any clinical factor.

This is the landscape young people are navigating. Understanding it is the only honest starting point for responding to it.

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