CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

SMHR-ASBDD 2026 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS ARE NOW CLOSED

The call for abstracts has now closed for the Society for Mental Health Research (SMHR) and Australasian Society for Bipolar & Depressive Disorders (ASBDD) 2026 Conference. Authors will be notified of the outcome of their submission on Monday 13 July 2026.

The theme for the 2026 Conference is “Weaving Connection and Knowledge”, representing the commitment to bring together Indigenous knowledge and Western scientific approaches to improve mental health outcomes.

Submissions for the pre-Conference Alliance for the Prevention of Mental Disorders symposium (held on Tuesday 23 November 2026 in Christchurch) are open until Friday 21 August 2026. We welcome abstracts on any research related to prevention and mental health promotion. Please email your 300-word abstracts directly to Katrina Champion at Katrina.champion@sydney.edu.au by Friday 21 August 2026. The template can be found here.

Abstracts for SMHR-ASBDD 2026 were submitted online via a submission portal. The information below was available to assist in submitting abstracts:

Event	Date
Abstract Submissions Open	Monday 23 March 2026
Abstract Submissions Close	Monday 8 June 2026 - now closed
Authors Notified of Abstract Acceptance	Monday 13 July 2026
Authors Acceptance Deadline	Monday 20 July 2026
Early-Bird Registration Close/Presenter Registration Deadline	Tuesday 4 August 2026
SMHR-ASBDD 2026 Conference	25 – 27 November 2026

Presentation Types

Authors were required to indicate their preferred presentation type when submitting an abstract.

Symposium, if you wished to submit a complete Symposium session. Note, the lead researcher was to submit all of the abstracts under the one profile.
Debate or Panel, if you wished to submit an abstract for a complete Debate or Panel session.
Oral Presentation, if you wished for your abstract to be considered for a regular Oral Presentation.
Rapid Oral Presentation, if you wished for your abstract to be considered for a 5-minute Rapid Oral Presentation.
Poster, if you wished to be considered for a Poster Presentation.
New Ideas, if you wished to be considered for a New Ideas Presentation.

Presentation Formats At The Conference

There will be the below types of presentation formats at the Conference.

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 comprise of speakers from at least two States/Territories/Nations; focus on Mood Disorders (ASBDD), digital interventions, biomarkers; focus on weaving Maori and Indigenous mental health or lived experience voices in research; focus on building research collaborations (in the theme of weaving). The time allocated per symposium is generally 60-90 minutes; however shorter times (15-30 mins) will also be considered. Session time will be confirmed in the acceptance letters. Panel discussion or debate formats are also welcome.

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.

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 underdevelopment 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 and A and feedback from a senior researcher.

Themes

The SMHR-ASBDD 2026 Conference’s theme is Weaving Connections and Knowledge. The Conference accepted abstracts of the follow themes and subthemes:

Interventions

Prevention
Treatment

Life Span

Infant/Child
Youth
Adult
Older adult
Family

Inclusivity

Indigenous, Māori, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander, Pacific
Culturally and linguistically diverse
Refugee
LGBTQIA+
Disability
Intersectionality

Innovation

Lived experience
Participatory methods
Digital/AI
Chronobiology
Transdisciplinary
What works and for whom

Abstract Awards

The following awards will be available to presenters at the Conference:

SMHR Best Student/EMCR* Rapid Fire Presentation Award
SMHR Best Consumer or Community-Led Research Presentation Award
SMHR Best Student/EMCR* Oral Presentation Award
SMHR Best Student/EMCR* Poster Presentation Award

*Within 5 years post PhD (adjusted for career disruptions)

If authors wished to be considered in any of the above award categories, authors were asked to do so during the submission process. The judge’s decision is final and winners will be announced at the end of the Conference program.

Notification to Authors

All presenters are required register and pay for the Conference by Tuesday 4 August 2026 in order for the presentation to be included in the Conference Program.

The invitation to submit an abstract does not constitute an offer to pay travel, accommodation or registration costs associated with the Conference. Similarly, no presenter fee is paid to successful participants.

SMHR AWARDS

SMHR will offer various awards for the Conference. Award nominations have now opened, information is available on the SMHR website.

Further Enquiries

For any enquiries regarding abstract submission please contact the Society for Mental Health Research (SMHR) and Australasian Society for Bipolar & Depressive Disorders (ASBDD) 2026 Conference Office: