Mental health research in primary care: mandates from a community advisory board.
OBJECTIVE
We wanted to obtain the viewpoints of a community advisory board in training junior minority faculty members and graduate students for community-based participatory research (CBPR) on mental health in primary care.


METHODS
During training institutes, members of a community advisory board presented plenary sessions on research collaboration with communities. The program director edited the transcribed recordings of the presentations for style but not for content. Advisory board members collaborated in revising the transcripts and summarizing themes.


RESULTS
Board members expressed several key themes. Research must take into account traditional healing practices and prior exploitative research. Historical trauma impedes collaborations, which require conflict resolution and departure from traditional definitions of normalcy. Researchers should include communities in formulating research agendas and should take findings back to the communities for critical appraisal and practical applications. Collaborations should address policy issues including interpreter services, Medicaid managed care, and parity in insurance coverage for physical and mental health problems.


CONCLUSIONS
Community advisory board members present key concerns that otherwise would not enter into the researchers' training curriculum. Such an advisory board can make important contributions to programs that seek to improve CBPR in mental health and primary care.
Chené
Roberto
R
The Southwest Center for Intercultural Leadership, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
García
Lorenzo
L
Goldstrom
Margie
M
Pino
Mandy
M
Roach
Delfy Peña
DP
Thunderchief
Wendy
W
Waitzkin
Howard
H
D026683:Advisory Committees; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014481:United States