Combined submission of 4 – 6 individual presentations submitted by one author on behalf of the group and under one common theme. Preference is generally given to symposia that include diverse presenters (i.e. not all speakers from the same research team), ideally comprising speakers from at least two States/Territories/Nations. The time allocated per symposium is generally 60 minutes; session time will be confirmed in the acceptance letters.

Oral Presentations will be notified of their length of presentation time in the acceptance letters. Generally, 10–15 minutes including Q&A.

Abstracts not selected for Oral Presentations may be eligible for a Rapid Oral Presentation or Poster Presentation.

Each Rapid Oral Presentation will be 5 mins in duration, with a brief Q&A following all presentations within the session. Abstracts not selected for Rapid Oral Presentations may be eligible for a Poster Presentation.

A Poster Presentation constitutes a visual display of research projects. The poster must not extend beyond the boundaries of your display board – one display board will be allocated per poster. The poster display will be an integral part of the program with dedicated times for delegates to interact with poster authors and ask questions. Full details of the format and display of Posters will be detailed within acceptance notifications sent to nominated presenting authors.

This year we welcome short presentations discussing new ideas for innovative and inclusive mental health research that is still in development. For example, presentations might include discussions of study protocols that are still under development or research ideas that are yet to be funded. Presenters can use this format to ask the audience for feedback to develop the idea further. Presenters will be notified of the length of presentation time in the acceptance letters, likely 10–15 minutes including Q&A and feedback from a senior researcher.

Abstract template: Download the relevant Abstract Template, save to your desktop and complete it. Use the template to present your abstract in the required format. Abstracts submitted not using the correct template will be returned for correction.

• Text must be in Arial, 10pt font, single-spaced and justified.
• Your abstract text should follow the specified word limits within the template; excluding references, title and affiliations.
• There is to be a maximum of two references.
• Use standard abbreviations only. Within the body of the abstract, when using abbreviations spell out the name in full at the first mention and follow with the abbreviation in parenthesis. Abbreviations may be used in the title, provided the name in full is outlined in the body of the abstract.
• Your abstract should clearly, and where applicable, concisely outline the Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions.
• After completing the template, move onto step 2.

Creating an account/logging into the Abstract Portal:

• Firstly, you must create an account in order to upload an abstract. To begin, please click on the submission button above.
• Once you have done this, and you have not previously submitted an abstract, please click “Create New Account”. Your contact details will be required to create the account. You will then be automatically logged in.
• Once you have created an account within this portal you can upload the abstract, review the presenter briefing notes when available, register for the Conference and review presenter terms and conditions at any time by logging in.

Submitting your Abstract:

Click on “Submit Abstract” option in the top menu. You will be required to provide the following details prior to uploading the abstract:

• The Title of your Abstract
• Presentation Type (preference only)
• Theme
• Secondary Theme
• Name and Organisation of all Co-Presenters and Co-Authors
• A brief biography of the Presenting Author, the biography should be no more than 100 words
• Your completed Abstract

• All abstracts must be prepared according to the guidelines provided. Incomplete or incorrect submissions will be returned to the author and must be re-submitted immediately in the correct format to be considered for inclusion in the program.
• All fields on the online abstract submission form must be completed; you will not be able to submit an abstract through the portal until all areas are completed.
• Abstracts that do not include results or state that “results will be presented” may be subject to rejection.
• If you wish to make changes, edit or replace your existing submitted abstracts you are able to do so until Friday 12 July 2024 by contacting the Program Coordinator via email hannah@wsm.com.au. After this date, abstracts will be published exactly as they are submitted; there will be no opportunity for amendments from the close of abstracts on Friday 12 July 2024.
• Abstracts must be submitted by the presenting author who should complete all fields on the online submission form.
• Submission of your abstract/s implies you have read, understood and comply with the terms and conditions as outlined in the abstract portal.