European mental health research resources: Picture and recommendations of the ROAMER project

Abstract

As part of the Roamer project, we sought to have a picture of the available mental health research (MHR) funding, capacity-building and infrastructures resources and to establish consensus-based recommendations that would allow an increase of European MHR resources and enable better use and accessibility to them. The methods fell into three sections (i) a review of the literature, (ii) a mental health-related keywords search within the Cordis ® , On-Course ® and Meril ® databases which contain information on European research funding, training and infrastructures. These reviews provided an overview that was presented to (iii) two experts workshops with 28 participants drawn from academic which identified gaps and produced Highlights  Infrastructures and training dedicated to mental health research are scarce  Resources for mental health research do not match the burden of mental disorders  Important gaps concern the underutilization and dispersion of existing resources  Experts' recommendations implemented would allow reducing the identified gaps

The new Horizon Europe programme 2021–2028: Should the gap between the burden of mental disorders and the funding of mental health research be filled?

“…It bluntly underscored the under-investment of the field and recommended an urgent increase in resources in mental health research. 4 In April 2019, the European Commission signed the Horizon Europe programme 2021---2027. This will be the largest research programme in the world, with a budget over D 100 million.…”

“…Preventive, therapeutic and rehabilitative interventions on mental health, differentiated in type and intensity, and more research on service provision, are highly required. 4,5 Assiduous communication between researchers and policy planners is also mandatory to assure that the research agenda is aligned with the necessity of the population and to ensure an immediate impact on policy and practice. 10 In contrast, the huge transformation of health systems with greater competition and change of governance and planning has not been sufficiently tested or monitored.…”

“…This may consequently improve lives of millions people through interventions requiring investment that increases productivity and gives return on investment, as identified by the World Bank. 3 In the European Union (EU) only, 11% of all-cause disability adjusted years, 22% of YLDs and 5% of years of life lost are due to mental disorders and self-harm, 4 while more than 4% of the GDP expenses (D 700 million), are a consequence of mental disorders. 5 In spite of this fact, mental disorders were not included in the priority group of major chronic diseases in the world: diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, and stroke.…”

A Systematic Review of Patient Engagement Experiences in Brain Disorders

“…1 Scholars worldwide agree on the urgency of engaging patients in their care in order to achieve a more sustainable management of the healthcare system 2 , 3 also in mental health research. 4 , 5 To make it more targeted and effectively, Graffigna et al 6 have promoted and disseminated an Italian Consensus Conference on Patient Engagement (ICCPE), in order to set the basis for drafting recommendations for the provision of effective patient engagement interventions and research. Reliance on the patient’s knowledge, skills and motivation to access the acquired benefits through the advances in medicine, technology and healthcare services are increasingly necessary in order to improve the outcomes of the health interventions.…”

“…As a consequence, these interventions will be more (cost-) effective than traditional forms of health interventions. 5 , 12 , 15 , 16 For example, digital and mobile applications can offer patients greater access to information and services and enhance clinical management and early intervention through access and usage of real-time patient data. 12 …”