Mental Health Services Research Review - Proceedings of the Dissemination Workshop held on 20 June 2001

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTIONS: The Health Systems Trust has funded a significant number of research projects related to Mental Health Services since its inception. There was a perception that there was a lot of duplication of research, and that the findings of research projects were not reaching key stakeholders, and thus not impacting on policy or implementation of services. There was also a lack of any systematic review of the field. With this in mind, the Health Systems Trust commissioned a project to review research that has been conducted in the field of Mental Health Services. The objectives of the project are thus: - To compile and communicate the findings and recommendations of existing research on mental health services to all role-players - To identify gaps in existing work - To make recommendations for future research - To identify obstacles or barriers to the implementation of research recommendations - To facilitate the sharing of information amongst key stakeholders OBJECTIVES OF DISSEMINATION WORKSHOP: 1. To confirm a mental health services research agenda for the Health Systems Trust (and possibly also for Essential National Mental Health Research). 2. To make recommendations for good research practices/processes in mental health services research. 3. To make recommendations for a dissemination strategy for Mental Health Services research that will reach all role players. Fifty key role-players in the mental health services field were invited to attend the dissemination workshop. The invitees were selected in terms of their positions and also in terms of their response to previous contact within the context of this project. There were thirty-eight participants at the workshop.