Enhancing mental health research capacity: emerging voices from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) global hubs
Abstract Background Emerging researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) face many barriers, including inadequacies in funding, international exposure and mentorship. In 2012, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) funded five research hubs aimed at improving the research core for...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2019-04-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Mental Health Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13033-019-0276-9 |
| _version_ | 1818231592345141248 |
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| author | Andrea Tenório Correia da Silva Charlotte Hanlon Ezra Susser Graciela Rojas Heloísa Garcia Claro Julieta Quayle Kassahun Habtamu María Soledad Burrone Maria Tavares Cavalcanti Mona Sharma Marguerite Schneider Ramesh Prasad Adhikari Tanya van de Water Yasmin Mohammed Anna E. Ordóñez Soraya Seedat |
| author_facet | Andrea Tenório Correia da Silva Charlotte Hanlon Ezra Susser Graciela Rojas Heloísa Garcia Claro Julieta Quayle Kassahun Habtamu María Soledad Burrone Maria Tavares Cavalcanti Mona Sharma Marguerite Schneider Ramesh Prasad Adhikari Tanya van de Water Yasmin Mohammed Anna E. Ordóñez Soraya Seedat |
| author_sort | Andrea Tenório Correia da Silva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Emerging researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) face many barriers, including inadequacies in funding, international exposure and mentorship. In 2012, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) funded five research hubs aimed at improving the research core for evidence-based mental health interventions, enhancing research skills in global mental health, and providing capacity building (CB) opportunities for early career investigators in LMIC. In this paper emerging researchers contextualize their experiences. Case presentation Each of the five hubs purposively selected an emerging researcher who had experienced more than one hub-related CB opportunity and actively participated in hub-related clinical trial activities. The five ‘voices’ were invited to contribute narratives on their professional backgrounds, CB experience, challenges and successes as an emerging mental health researcher, and suggestions for future CB activities. These narratives are presented as case studies. CB activities provided broader learning opportunities for emerging researchers. Benefits included the receipt of research funding, hands-on training and mentorship, as well as exposure to networks and collaborative opportunities on a global scale. To overcome ongoing challenges of access to funding, mentoring, networking and global exposure, the emerging voices recommend making mentorship and training opportunities available to a wider range of emerging mental health researchers. Conclusions Investing in CB is not enough to ensure sustainability and leave a legacy unless it is accompanied by ongoing mentorship and international exposure. Financial investment in building research capacity, promotion of mentorship and supervision, and international networking are essential to yield well-prepared young investigators in LMIC as experienced by these rising stars. Governments and policymakers should prioritize educational policies to support the continuous development and international engagement of emerging researchers. This can advance strategies to deal with one of most important and costly problems faced by healthcare systems in LMIC: the mental health treatment gap. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:52:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5f66d8dc5548411b88b33bf7868568b0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1752-4458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:52:50Z |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Mental Health Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-5f66d8dc5548411b88b33bf7868568b02022-12-22T00:26:44ZengBMCInternational Journal of Mental Health Systems1752-44582019-04-011311910.1186/s13033-019-0276-9Enhancing mental health research capacity: emerging voices from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) global hubsAndrea Tenório Correia da Silva0Charlotte Hanlon1Ezra Susser2Graciela Rojas3Heloísa Garcia Claro4Julieta Quayle5Kassahun Habtamu6María Soledad Burrone7Maria Tavares Cavalcanti8Mona Sharma9Marguerite Schneider10Ramesh Prasad Adhikari11Tanya van de Water12Yasmin Mohammed13Anna E. Ordóñez14Soraya Seedat15Departmente of Preventive Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina, University of São PauloDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa UniversityColumbia University, New York State Psychiatric InstituteFaculty of Medicine, University of ChileDepartmente of Preventive Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina, University of São PauloDepartmente of Preventive Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina, University of São PauloSchool of Psychology, Addis Ababa UniversityInstitute of Health Sciences, University of O´HigginsFederal University of Rio de JaneiroCenter for Chronic Conditions and Injuries, Public Health Foundation of IndiaDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape TownTranscultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) NepalDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityDepartment of Behavioural Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyOffice of Clinical Research, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH in the United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch UniversityAbstract Background Emerging researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) face many barriers, including inadequacies in funding, international exposure and mentorship. In 2012, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) funded five research hubs aimed at improving the research core for evidence-based mental health interventions, enhancing research skills in global mental health, and providing capacity building (CB) opportunities for early career investigators in LMIC. In this paper emerging researchers contextualize their experiences. Case presentation Each of the five hubs purposively selected an emerging researcher who had experienced more than one hub-related CB opportunity and actively participated in hub-related clinical trial activities. The five ‘voices’ were invited to contribute narratives on their professional backgrounds, CB experience, challenges and successes as an emerging mental health researcher, and suggestions for future CB activities. These narratives are presented as case studies. CB activities provided broader learning opportunities for emerging researchers. Benefits included the receipt of research funding, hands-on training and mentorship, as well as exposure to networks and collaborative opportunities on a global scale. To overcome ongoing challenges of access to funding, mentoring, networking and global exposure, the emerging voices recommend making mentorship and training opportunities available to a wider range of emerging mental health researchers. Conclusions Investing in CB is not enough to ensure sustainability and leave a legacy unless it is accompanied by ongoing mentorship and international exposure. Financial investment in building research capacity, promotion of mentorship and supervision, and international networking are essential to yield well-prepared young investigators in LMIC as experienced by these rising stars. Governments and policymakers should prioritize educational policies to support the continuous development and international engagement of emerging researchers. This can advance strategies to deal with one of most important and costly problems faced by healthcare systems in LMIC: the mental health treatment gap.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13033-019-0276-9Capacity buildingMental healthDeveloping countriesEarly career researchersInternational collaboration |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Tenório Correia da Silva Charlotte Hanlon Ezra Susser Graciela Rojas Heloísa Garcia Claro Julieta Quayle Kassahun Habtamu María Soledad Burrone Maria Tavares Cavalcanti Mona Sharma Marguerite Schneider Ramesh Prasad Adhikari Tanya van de Water Yasmin Mohammed Anna E. Ordóñez Soraya Seedat Enhancing mental health research capacity: emerging voices from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) global hubs International Journal of Mental Health Systems Capacity building Mental health Developing countries Early career researchers International collaboration |
| title | Enhancing mental health research capacity: emerging voices from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) global hubs |
| title_full | Enhancing mental health research capacity: emerging voices from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) global hubs |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing mental health research capacity: emerging voices from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) global hubs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing mental health research capacity: emerging voices from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) global hubs |
| title_short | Enhancing mental health research capacity: emerging voices from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) global hubs |
| title_sort | enhancing mental health research capacity emerging voices from the national institute of mental health nimh global hubs |
| topic | Capacity building Mental health Developing countries Early career researchers International collaboration |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13033-019-0276-9 |
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