Ethnicity and Mental Health: Research and Policy Issues

The relationship between social science research and public policy/program advocacy has been controversial. One position is that policy advocacy should be preceded and guided by research findings that clearly provide a rationale for the advocacy. Another position is that promotion of policies may be wise even in the absence of a strong research justification, because research findings are often inconclusive and the urgency of many social issues demands immediate action. Citing ethnic mental health research, I argue that the critical issue is the intertwining of research with policy recommendations, not whether one precedes or follows the other.