Promoting positive mental health and well-being: Practice and policy

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of international developments concerning the policy and practice of promoting positive mental health. The key concepts and principles of mental health promotion are outlined, and the implications of embracing a health promotion perspective and a socioecological model of mental health are discussed. A framework for implementing mental health promotion interventions at a population level is presented. This chapter reviews the evidence of effective interventions that promote positive mental health in the early years, in school, at the workplace, and in the community and broader society. The importance of mainstreaming mental health promotion and sustaining policy and practice developments for maximizing population impact is discussed.