WP7. Public health research

In spite of the importance of mental health for public welfare, mental health research in the public health research field is scattered and European-level coordination is missing. Data in existing national public health infrastructures, such as health registers, are rarely used for European-level studies. As a result of the lack of research coordination, Europe lacks even the most fundamental bricks for evidence-based mental health policy.

The coordination activities in this area centres on research needs in mental health epidemiology, mental health services research, prevention research in mental health, mental health promotion research and mental health policy analysis. ROAMER will provide a coordinated research action plan outlining the research needed to establish an evidence base for national mental health policies and an EU mental health strategy.  Particular focus will be on how public health research can address the situation of poor treatment and our general lack of knowledge on service provision and mental health promotion is organized in European countries. Additional research needs to be promoted and integrated to fill in the gaps in our knowledge about positive mental health in work life, the effect of mental disorders on vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. There is also need to promote research on the distribution of mental disorders across socio-economical groups.

• To map the current state of public health research coordination and integration in Europe by data collection from EU member states
• To identify knowledge needs and gaps as well innovative research advances
• To set priorities for coordinated and integrated public health research in Europe

Prof. Kristian Wahlbeck

Prof. Christina van der Feltz-Cornelis

Dr. Anna Forsman

First scientific workshop to review the state-of-art in public mental health research across Europe

The workshop, hosted by Prof. Kristian Wahlbeck (Nordiska högskolan för folkhälsovetenskap, NHV), took place successfully in Copenhagen, at Hilton Copenhagen Airport Hotel on May 21-24th 2012.

The aim of the workshop was to get an overview of the advances in the field during the last ten years, the current gaps in the research areas and the needs and priorities for research during the next ten years. A total of 49 experts from across Europe were invited to the workshop to discuss these matters, divided into five groups according to public mental health research area: mental health promotion, epidemiology, policy, health services and mental disorder prevention.

The different groups met separately according to the following agenda.
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 in public mental health research across Europe

The second scientific workshop of WP7 was hosted by Professor Kristian Wahlbeck and Professor Christina van der Feltz-Cornelis. The meeting was held in Gothenburg, on the 14-15th of February. The main aim of the meeting was to discuss European-wide knowledge needs and gaps regarding public health and to identify advances in coordination and integration of research efforts in the area of public mental health research. During the workshop specific research questions were formed which need to be answered to promote mental health of the population in Europe in the research areas of epidemiology, health services research, prevention research, health promotion research and policy analysis. In the following period priorities in each of the five topic areas (epidemiology, health services research, promotion, prevention and policy analysis) will be developed based on a Delphi process, including also stakeholder consultations. Photos and the agenda of the meeting are available for your interest.