WP2. Geographic, clinical multi-disciplinary and life-course integration

European countries have high and highly variable rates of mental disorders, especially in urban and minority populations. This makes it difficult to get precise information on when and how to intervene. In addition to poor access to prevention and to mental health care, elevated levels of chronicity, lack of treatment options, unreliable quality and high costs are difficulties that need to be addressed by and overall research strategy at the European level in order to integrate and promote mental health research. Lack of a coordinated approach to integrate and promote mental disorder and mental health research results in fragmented mental health-care delivery systems; skewed distribution of resources; a long and unpredictable route from basic discovery to potential therapeutic applications; a slow uptake of novel, effective and patient-centered ways of delivering mental health services; the absence of efficient promotion and preventive interventions.

In order to overcome the non-integrated state of mental health research in Europe, it is necessary to set up a methodology to acquire and organize the knowledge regarding current mental health research activities; to develop methodologies for life consultation, e-surveys and on analysis; and to integrate, harmonize, maintain and update the knowledge gathered.

• To describe and analyse key aspects of variation in mental health research across European countries and regions, and detect gaps, opportunities and solutions
• To cross-sectionally evaluate the state of the art, gaps and solutions based on a disorder-specific clinical perspective
• To analyse state of the art, gaps and solutions with regard to the life course perspective of mental health research
• To analyse state of the art, gaps and solutions with regard to the interdisciplinary perspective of mental health research
• To develop a common methodology in the kick-off meeting and to provide integration and continuous fine-tuning of these methodologies across work packages

Prof. Jim van Os

Dr. Rebecca Kuepper

First scientific workshop to review the state-of-art of the integration in mental health European research

The workshop, hosted by Prof. Jim van Os (Maastricht University Medical Centre, MUMC), took place successfully in Amsterdam at the Amsterdam Medical Center (AMC) on July 5-6th, 2012.

Click to the following link to download the agenda of the event.
Click to the following link to download the list of participants of the event.
See the pictures of the event here.

Second scientific workshop to review the state-of-art of the integration in mental health European research

The second scientific meeting was held on the 18th of March, 2013, in Amsterdam. The main focus of the workshop, which was hosted by Professor Jim van Os, was on clinical research and on the integration of the gaps and advances identified by the other scientific work packages.
Click to the following link to download the agenda of the event.
See the pictures of the event here.