Chula’s TIMS Hosts Academic Conference on Mental Health Sustainability 

The Thailand Institute for Mental Health Sustainability (TIMS), under the Mental Health Promotion Support Mechanism Development Project, Faculty of Psychology, Chulalongkorn University, organized the Mental Health Sustainability Conference on April 25, 2025, at Pathumwan Princess Hotel. The purpose of the conference is to develop knowledge, innovation, and social networks through presentations and exchanges of opinions and experiences by the project’s grantees and network partners, leading to a drive for sustainable mental health promotion policies. 

Prof. Dr. Wilert Puriwat, Chulalongkorn University President, and Dr. Pairoj Saonuam, M.D., Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), gave opening speeches at the conference. Then, Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattasuda Taephant, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology and Director of TIMS, discussed the vision and work of TIMS. The event also featured panel discussions on the topics: “Policy Ecosystem for Mental Well-being,” “Mechanisms for Promoting Mental Well-being in Organizations and Educational Institutions,” and “Future Action Plan for the Thailand Institute for Mental Health Sustainability (TIMS).” 

Prof. Dr. Wilert Puriwat, Chulalongkorn University President, remarked that this academic conference is of great significance as it represents a collaborative effort to advance academic institutions as a key mechanism for promoting knowledge as well as developing innovations and public policy towards sustainable mental health in the country. Mental health is no less important than other aspects of well-being, and in some dimensions, it may be even more complex and challenging. Achieving sustainable mental health for the Thai population requires deep understanding, interdisciplinary knowledge integration, and active participation from all sectors of society. This collaboration marks a promising step towards establishing an academic foundation that goes beyond education to encompass holistic development, both physical and mental, aimed at creating a truly healthy society at both the individual and collective levels. 

Dr. Pairoj Saonuam, M.D., Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), said that Thai Health recognizes the importance of mental health issues, which reflect social and environmental structures. TIMS will serve as a crucial mechanism for driving concrete public mental health policies, especially by promoting knowledge and practical approaches, such as psychological first aid, that can create widespread positive impacts. In the current situation where depression rates are on the rise, integrating collaboration between academic, policy, and social sectors is essential for driving sustainable improvements in mental well-being in Thai society. 

Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattasuda Taephant, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology and Director of TIMS, shared that “Over the past two years, the Faculty of Psychology at Chulalongkorn University, with support from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), has been implementing a project to develop academic mechanisms for driving the mental health ecosystem. The primary goal is to prevent and address mental health issues at their root cause, rather than simply waiting to respond when diseases or critical situations arise. Good mental health cannot be created through medical services alone but requires structural changes and transformations in people’s environments—including families, schools, communities, and workplaces. Creating an ecosystem that supports people’s well-being is the core of the approach we believe in.” 

Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattasuda referred to an example of the “Bench with Ears,” a community innovation designed as safe mental spaces for conversation, listening, and initial healing. Volunteers trained in active listening will be stationed in public spaces such as community centers, schools, or temples to provide gentle, non-judgmental listening for people experiencing stress, anxiety, or initial mental health challenges. It creates a concrete, tangible space for mutual understanding in society. The project is set to begin this May. 

Highlights of Thailand Institute for Mental Health Sustainability (TIMS) 

The Thailand Institute for Mental Health Sustainability (TIMS) is a strategic academic institute focused on mobilizing social forces to drive knowledge, innovation, and public policies for sustainable mental well-being in Thai society. Established with the hope of stimulating changes in the “mental health ecosystem” in Thai society, TIMS operates under the “Mental Health Promotion Support Mechanism Development Project,” with the Faculty of Psychology at Chulalongkorn University as the managing unit, supported by the Division of Health Risk Factor Control (Division 2) of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth). TIMS is committed to creating a society with sustainable mental well-being through three key objectives: 

1. Supporting the creation and management of knowledge about mental well-being promotion.
2. Driving and advancing mental well-being promotion innovations and policies based on diverse knowledge and value sets.
3. Coordinating and empowering mental well-being promotion networks in Thai society. 

Over the past 2 years, TIMS has collaborated with many network partners to develop research projects, social measures, and community-based mental health promotion prototypes. The 9 projects of note that were presented at this conference were as follows:  

1. Bench with Ears  
2. Developing professional standards for counseling psychologists 
3. Governance of mental health systems in Thailand 
4. Public policy ecosystem for mental health sustainability  
5. Developing systems and criteria for selecting top mental well-being-promoting organizations 
6. Measurements for mental health sustainability  
7. Training basic psychological first aid providers for people with disabilities 
8. Studying the relationship between individual and family basic factors and psychological incubation factors affecting social and emotional skills, intellectual well-being, and mental health issues in high school students 
9. Developing community mental health promotion tools using positive psychology principles through design thinking processes. 

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