A roadmap for EU mental health research
Mental health issues cost Europe over EUR 460 billion per year, with the situation worsening. Yet, European investment in mental health research is disproportional to the social effect of mental problems, and to the mental part of the overall disease total. The EU-funded ROAMER (A roadmap for mental health research in Europe) project aimed to develop a roadmap for European mental health research. The map is intended to help improve European mental health while decreasing the burden of mental disorders. The information gathering process combined a fact-based methodology with a widespread stakeholder consultation. Researchers started with a systematic literature analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of existing resources in Europe. The review included over 70 000 scientific publications, of which about 28 000 were used for an exercise mapping all European countries. The team also sought input from over 1 000 stakeholders. Investigations produced a total of 125 research priorities, assessed according to likely effectiveness, impact, feasibility and European research strengths. The team hence reduced the initial list to six main priorities able to be achieved in the next 10 to 15 years. The recommendations depend on a coordinated approach to funding and capacity building. ROAMER published its roadmap as a long version intended for the European Commission, plus a shorter and simpler public version. The named priorities include prevention of mental disorders and promotion of mental health in children and young people, determination of causal mechanisms and maintenance of interdisciplinary research networks. Further items involve implementation of better interventions and empowerment of service users, including carers. The final recommendation is research into quality of care with respect to cultural and economic points of view. Work also yielded 10 journal papers, with more scheduled for publication beyond the project's active phase. ROAMER's roadmap focuses on Europe's research concerning mental health. The priorities also contribute to Europe's 2020 strategy for economic growth, particularly in terms of reducing risk of poverty or social exclusion.
Keywords
Mental health, mental health research, mental disorders, well-being, roadmap, research priorities, Europe, stakeholders
