Capacity Building in Global Mental Health Research

TY - JOUR

T1 - Capacity Building in Global Mental Health Research

AU - Thornicroft, Graham

AU - Cooper, Sara

AU - Van Bortel, Tine

AU - Kakuma, Ritsuko

AU - Lund, Crick

PY - 2012/1

Y1 - 2012/1

N2 - Research-generated information about mental disorders is crucial in order to establish the health needs in a given setting, to propose culturally apt and cost-effective individual and collective interventions, to investigate their implementation, and to explore the obstacles that prevent recommended strategies from being implemented. Yet the capacity to undertake such research in low-and middle-income countries is extremely limited. This article describes two methods that have proved successful in strengthening, or that have the potential to strengthen, mental health research capacity in low-resource settings. We identify the central challenges to be faced, review current programs offering training and mentorship, and summarize the key lessons learned. A structured approach is proposed for the career development of research staff at every career stage, to be accompanied by performance monitoring and support. A case example from the Mental Health and Poverty Project in sub-Saharan Africa illustrates how this approach can be put into practice-in particular, by focusing upon training in core transferrable research skills. (HARV REV PSYCHIATRY 2012; 20: 13-24.)

AB - Research-generated information about mental disorders is crucial in order to establish the health needs in a given setting, to propose culturally apt and cost-effective individual and collective interventions, to investigate their implementation, and to explore the obstacles that prevent recommended strategies from being implemented. Yet the capacity to undertake such research in low-and middle-income countries is extremely limited. This article describes two methods that have proved successful in strengthening, or that have the potential to strengthen, mental health research capacity in low-resource settings. We identify the central challenges to be faced, review current programs offering training and mentorship, and summarize the key lessons learned. A structured approach is proposed for the career development of research staff at every career stage, to be accompanied by performance monitoring and support. A case example from the Mental Health and Poverty Project in sub-Saharan Africa illustrates how this approach can be put into practice-in particular, by focusing upon training in core transferrable research skills. (HARV REV PSYCHIATRY 2012; 20: 13-24.)

U2 - 10.3109/10673229.2012.649117

DO - 10.3109/10673229.2012.649117

M3 - Article

VL - 20

SP - 13

EP - 24

JO - Harvard Review of Psychiatry

JF - Harvard Review of Psychiatry

IS - 1

ER -