title: Mental health research: developing priorities and promoting its utilization to inform policies and services.
abstract: Investment in research on the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders is disproportionately low in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) relative to the disease burden. Scaling-up mental health research in the EMR could generate enormous returns in terms of reducing disability, improving outcomes and preventing premature death, through early diagnosis, better management and community-based rehabilitation. EMR countries must therefore work to identify research priorities, mobilize resources, develop human and infrastructure capacities and institutionalize use of research findings to guide development of policies and service delivery models. Several key strategic interventions for EMR Member States are recommended: adopt a prioritized national mental health research agenda; systematically map national and international research funding to identify and secure resources to support the implementation of the agenda; strengthen national capacity to undertake prioritized research; periodically map research output in mental health; and foster dialogue between researchers and policy-makers/programme managers.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Global Mental Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Regan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, and Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gater
authors.affiliation: Child Mental Health Unit, University of Liverpool, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Centre for Global Mental Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Centre for Chronic Conditions and Injuries, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D006291:Health Policy; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012106:Research; D014944:World Health Organization