Research priorities in mental health, Part 2: an evaluation of the current research effort against stakeholders' priorities

OBJECTIVE: To examine the current distribution of mental health research in Australia and compare this with the priorities of various stakeholder groups. METHOD: A content analysis was carried out on a year's worth of published articles and a year's worth of competitive research grants. A questionnaire for stakeholders was developed in which respondents were asked to rate priorities for research using the same categories. Questionnaires were sent to mental health researchers,members of panels that evaluate mental health research grant applications,general practitioners, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, mental health nurses, mental health consumer and carer advocates, and members of the National Mental Health Working Group. RESULTS: Different groups of stakeholders tended to have differing perspectives on research priorities, with some major differences between committees that evaluate research grants and consumer and carer groups. Different stakeholder groups also tended to obtain their information about research from different sources. However, there were also a number of areas of agreement. When different research topics are considered,the following tended to be under-researched: affective disorders,suicide, primary care and community settings, prevention and promotion,evaluation of services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,and socially and economically disadvantaged people. CONCLUSIONS: It is of concern that committees that evaluate research are guided by different values from consumers and carers in setting priorities. Nevertheless, there is consensus across stakeholder groups that a number of areas should be a high priority.