🌱 Insights from the Preventive Mental Health Conference 2026

Our Policy Officers Jessica and Smera attended the Preventive Mental Health Conference 2026 this month, run by the Public Health Association of Australia and Prevention United. Below are some of our key insights from the conference.

1. 🤝 Strong community connection and cohesion, alongside cross-system collaboration are foundational for maintaining sustainable mental health prevention
We must strive to employ a whole-of-system approach to mental health prevention, where the well-being of communities is placed at the centre. Mental health cannot sit in isolation from other sectors.
Dr. Matt Fisher highlighted aspects such as health promotion, community empowerment and place-based approaches will help to ensure that well-being is a strong focus in all communities.

2. 🧩 Working together through co-design models is vital to mental health prevention
Mental health can be complex, with many internal and external influences. Sarthak Gandhi spoke about how working together allows for different views to come together to work toward achieving a shared vision and goal. This cannot be done through silos.
(From Sarthak Gandhi – Co-designing solutions that genuinely reflect what matters to young people)

3. 💰 Investment in prevention delivers significant long-term benefits and cost savings
Evidence from the Productivity Commission (PC) shows that prevention and early intervention generate strong social and economic returns. Modelling suggests that for every $1 invested, governments can expect more than $2 in savings over the long term, alongside broader benefits for communities and well-being.

4. 🚧 Structural barriers continue to limit investment in prevention
The Productivity Commission’s National framework to support government investment in prevention and early intervention explored barriers and solutions to underinvestment. It found that underinvestment in prevention is driven by short-term decision-making, misalignment between who funds and who benefits, restrictive budgeting rules, and limited evaluation. Dedicated prevention funding, outcomes-focused models and sustainable, long-term investment were highlighted as ways to address these challenges.

5. 🌏 A public health, whole-of-government approach is essential for suicide prevention
Professor Jo Robinson highlighted that suicide prevention efforts are strengthened when they address the social determinants of suicide and self-harm, alongside individual risk factors. This approach supports coordinated action across government and promotes a more compassionate, non-judgemental response to suicidal distress. The public health model of suicide prevention presented below: