Theme 9 · ACGMH 2027
Reframing social connection not merely as a desirable outcome but as a core mental health intervention — highlighting how relationships, belonging, and community cohesion prevent distress and support recovery.
Overview
This theme is part of the broader conference focus on community-based mental health systems, innovation, equity, and resilience across Africa and low- and middle-income countries.
← All ThemesMental health is fundamentally relational. Across cultures, well-being is deeply tied to connection, belonging, and social cohesion. Yet modern pressures — urbanization, displacement, conflict, digital fragmentation, and economic stress — are increasingly eroding these social bonds.
Loneliness, isolation, and social disconnection are now recognized as major risk factors for poor mental health, comparable in impact to many traditional clinical determinants.
By strengthening social ties and rebuilding trust within communities, mental health systems can move from individual-focused care toward collective, community-driven wellbeing.
Significance
This theme addresses urgent and interconnected challenges in mental health systems, with direct implications for research, policy, practice, and communities.
Connection protects mental health: strong social ties reduce the risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
Isolation increases vulnerability: loneliness is a growing public health concern globally and within African contexts.
Community-based care relies on relationships: peer support and collective healing are central to scalable interventions.
Social cohesion strengthens resilience: connected communities recover faster from crisis and adversity.
Reframes mental health care: moves beyond individual treatment toward relational and community-level solutions.
Key Areas of Focus
Submissions may address any of the following focus areas, or propose related topics aligned with the conference vision.
Development and validation of tools to measure social connection and isolation
Cultural variations in how connection is experienced and expressed
Linking social connection metrics to mental health outcomes
Incorporating social indicators into program evaluation and policy
Role of peer supporters in mental health care delivery
Group-based models that foster connection (e.g., IPT-G)
Community-based befriending and companionship programs
Safeguarding and supervision within peer support systems
Linking individuals to non-clinical community resources
Integration of social prescribing into primary health care systems
Evidence and adaptation of social prescribing in African contexts
Addressing social determinants through relational interventions
Opportunities for connection through social media and digital platforms
Risks of digital isolation, misinformation, and cyberbullying
Online peer support and digital communities
Designing safe and inclusive digital spaces for mental well-being
Rebuilding trust and relationships in post-conflict settings
Community healing and reconciliation processes
Addressing collective trauma and social fragmentation
Mental health implications of social division and recovery
Impact of rapid urbanization on social networks and identity
Experiences of displacement and migration
Building new forms of community in urban and peri-urban settings
Social integration and inclusion strategies
Role of religious institutions in fostering belonging and support
Storytelling as a tool for shared experience and meaning-making
Community theatre, music, and art as platforms for connection
Cultural expression in rebuilding social bonds
Cross-Cutting Considerations
Equity and Inclusion
Ensuring marginalized groups are not excluded from social networks
Cultural Relevance
Recognizing diverse forms of connection across contexts
Safeguarding
Protecting individuals within group and peer-based interventions
Scalability
Expanding relational interventions within existing systems
Integration
Linking social connection approaches with health and social services
Guiding Questions
How can social connection be intentionally designed as a mental health intervention?
What are the most effective models for strengthening community cohesion?
How can peer support systems be scaled safely and sustainably?
What role should digital platforms play in fostering or undermining connection?
How can mental health systems address loneliness and isolation at the population level?
How can communities rebuild trust and cohesion after conflict or disruption?
What We Invite
Strategic Importance
This theme shifts the lens of mental health from individual pathology to relational wellbeing. It recognizes that connection is protective, belonging is therapeutic, and community is foundational. Mental health systems that ignore social connection risk addressing symptoms without addressing root causes.
Ready to contribute?