Following the April 2012 Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health: Integration and Implementation in Research, Policy and Practice conference, hosted by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the Center for Global Health Studies (CGHS) at Fogarty held a writer’s workshop. The workshop enabled a smaller group of participants and members of the NIH community to hold in-depth discussion of research and policy gaps with the goal of establishing priorities moving forward.
Participants in the two-day workshop worked together to create five manuscripts that addressed the evidence and need for integration of care, and made the case to policymakers and health system managers for building health care delivery systems capable of integrated management of mental illnesses along with other health conditions. The workshop addressed platforms of care related to HIV/AIDS, chronic disease and maternal and child health. Participants met in manuscript teams and as a larger group to discuss common themes, key messages, target audiences and a dissemination strategy.
Results
Five white papers were published in PLOS Medicine. The papers are intended to influence funders, decision makers, and program implementers regarding the integration of mental health services into health care delivery systems.
Grand Challenges in Mental Health article series:
- Integration in research, policy and practice
PLOS Medicine, April 30, 2013
- Integrating maternal mental health into maternal and child health programs
PLOS Medicine, May 7, 2013
- Integrating mental health care into the noncommunicable disease agenda
PLOS Medicine, May 14, 2013
- Improving HIV treatment outcomes by integrating interventions for comorbid mental illness
PLOS Medicine, May 21, 2013
- Integrating mental health services into priority health care platforms
PLOS Medicine, May 28, 2013
Background
Mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders are a critical piece of the global health agenda, representing 13 percent of the global burden of disease. With leadership from the NIMH, a Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health initiative identified priorities for research - including transformation of health systems and policy - that will make an impact on the lives of people with MNS disorders.
Partner
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Updated March 2016