Contributions from the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) to the National Mental Health Action Plan

The national Mental Health Action Plan (MHAP) flowed from the Ekurhuleni Declaration, adopted at the National Mental Health Summit (NMHS) in April 2012. The final draft of the MHAP included eight national objectives, with key activities which were believed to be 'catalytic'. These objectives include: district-based mental health service; institutional capacity; surveillance, research and innovation; infrastructure and capacity; mental health technology, equipment and medicines; inter-sectoral collaboration; human resources; and advocacy, mental health promotion and prevention of illness. A representative group of regional State Employed Special Interest Group (SESIG) delegates met during April 2013, to: operationalise the 12 South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP)/SESIG position statements of the previous year; review SASOP's position statements in the context of the proposed national MHAP; and to identify SASOP's role and responsibilities accordingly. This paper describes the contextual events in the drafting of the MHAP, as well as the appraisal of the MHAP during the 2013 SASOP/SESIG meeting, and SASOP'S envisaged role and responsibilities according to the national MHAP.