I am writing to advise you of the call for papers for the Seventh World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and the Prevention of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: The 21st Century Approach to Mental Health.

This conference also incorporates the Our mob, Our Minds, Our Spirits Indigenous mental health conference and will be held in Perth from 17 to 19 October 2012.

I am pleased to be a member of the organising committee for this important conference and in this way continue my commitment to improving the mental health and wellbeing of Western Australian children and young people.

The world conference is a biennial international event which aims to strengthen action to ‘develop, disseminate and implement evidence-based prevention and promotion in mental health’.

The objective of the Perth conference is to provide the most up-to-date evidence-based information, an understanding of the relevance of mental health promotion and wellbeing, and information about policies and programs.

The mental health and wellbeing of children (0 to 12 years) and young people (13 to 25 years) are two of the eight conference topic areas.

My Report of the Inquiry into the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Western Australia found there was a need for reform in terms of both investment and focus, including in the prioritisation of promotion of mental health and prevention of mental health problems for children and young people.

I therefore encourage you to consider submitting an abstract or poster for consideration by the conference’s Scientific Committee by 31 March 2012 ( http://www.perth2012.org/callpapers.html ) and to mark 17 to 19 October in your diaries.