International Center of Mental Health Policy and Economics

INTERDISCIPLINARY POSTGRADUATE TRAINING IN MENTAL HEALTH POLICY AND ECONOMICS RESEARCH

SPONSORSHIP Section on Mental Health Economics World Psychiatric Association (WPA) SECTION COMMITTEE S. Zuvekas (USA), Chair E. Rytik (Russia), Co-chair M. Moscarelli (Italy), Secretary R. Araya (Chile) A.H. Khalil (Egypt) M. Olatawura (Nigeria) H.A. Pincus (USA) K. Prot (Poland), Former Chair A. Rupp (USA), Former Chair SECRETARY M. Moscarelli (Italy) International Center of Mental Health Policy and Economics (ICMPE) INTRODUCTION BURDEN OF MENTAL AND ADDICTIVE DISORDERS MENTAL HEALTH POLICY AND ECONOMICS RESEARCH REASONS OF THE INNOVATIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY POSTGRADUATE TRAINING STRUCTURE OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY POSTGRADUATE TRAINING 2006-2009 - INTERDISCIPLINARY POSTGRADUATE TRAINING 2008-2011 - INTERDISCIPLINARY POSTGRADUATE TRAINING INFORMATION
Introduction
The Interdisciplinary *Postgraduate Training in Mental Health Policy and Economics Research* represents a significant innovation in the international development of high quality interdisciplinary research training in health policy and economics: it underlines the importance of considering the characteristics of the illnesses and of the individual medical specialties when research aimed at informing health policies and services financing strategies is developed. The training offers to the different participants in the field of mental health policy and economics (psychiatrists involved in research and care and other mental health workers, health services researchers, health economists, policy makers, public and private health providers, advocacy groups, and the pharmaceutical industry) a rigorous, structured, introductory research training program combining coherently traditional face-to-face and internet-based training. The Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Training in Mental Health Policy and Economics Research is aimed at offering high quality international research training infrastructure to support: Experienced Researchers in this interdisciplinary research field interested in including international research mentorship training, international research and international consultancy as part of their research activities and career. Participants and Research Mentees from different countries and disciplines committed to develop/enhance their research capacity in this area, to share high quality international methodologies and to become active members of an international research network. Public and Private Organisations in the various countries of the world who are committed to the finance and use of mental health policy and economics research for supporting their decision making at country and international level.
Burden of Mental and Addictive Disorders
Mental and addictive disorders impose heavy burdens on individuals, families, and society. Surveys conducted in both developed and developing countries have shown that, during their lifetime, more than 25% of individuals develop one or more mental or behavioral disorders. The World Bank/World Health Organization (World Health Report, 2002) estimates have shown that mental and addictive disorders account for 13 percent of the burden of all diseases in terms of mortality and disability. These disorders cause substantial pain and suffering to affected individuals and to their families. They lead also to relevant economic losses to society: many are simply unable to work or are significantly less productive because of mental illness or because they have an affected relative. These disorders also have a huge impact on the resources spent for the health and social services aimed at their care and support. These conditions are made worse by the severe stigma and isolation that surrounds mental illness. Stigma leads others to avoid living, socializing or working with, renting to, or employing people with mental disorders, especially severe disorders such as schizophrenia. In its most overt and egregious form, stigma results in outright discrimination and abuse.
Mental Health Policy and Economics Research
Mental health policy and economics research provides crucially needed information, including estimates of the socio-economic burden of psychiatric disorders, evidence of the costs and effectiveness of treatments, and information about the cost-effectiveness of new ways of coordinating the clinical and social interventions. In addition, research based information is needed to determine the benefits of different financing and reimbursement policies in bringing about desired changes in the management of mental and addictive disorders. This research is important in enabling governments to contain health system costs while improving the health and the productivity of the population. The development of multidisciplinary research during the last 25 years led to the rapid evolution of sound methodologies for applying economic analyses to the mental health care sector. This research has fundamentally altered the way decisions about mental health policy and treatments are made, especially in countries, such as the United States, with a large body of research studies. These research studies provide policymakers with extensive information on a wide-range of issues including: The social and economic consequences of severe mental and addictive disorders, including the costs they impose on society, patients, and their family caregivers and the socio-economic costs of not financing or underfinancing psychiatric services for mental and addictive disorders. The evaluation of the cost/effectiveness of psychological or pharmacological interventions in specialty and general practice settings aimed at prevention, care and rehabilitation The analysis of alternative systems for providing comprehensive health and social services The socio-economic impact of policies encouraging comprehensive, coordinated community-based care The evaluation of different financing systems to enhance health care provision, efficiency, and health outcomes Many of these studies have influenced psychiatric policies internationally. They demonstrated that mental and addictive disorders can frequently be treated successfully, with either full recovery or reduced disability, and that not financing treatment imposes substantial economic costs on society due to the reduced or complete inability to work of patients or their relatives. Economic evaluations of treatments for mental disorders have developed awareness in many countries that treatments must not only be considered in terms of their safety and efficacy, but also in terms of treatment costs and potential cost-savings when compared to other treatments already available. These studies help policymakers and providers choose the best treatments to maximize health benefits while containing costs. This research also has had a profound influence on mental health reforms to provide treatment for those with severe and persistent mental illnesses in the community rather than in asylums or hospitals. They scientifically demonstrated that many patients can be treated in the community in an equally cost-effective manner, if the array of financial, clinical and social services that is needed to support and assist these particularly vulnerable individuals in the community is fully established. When policymakers could not rely on sound research data, neglect, homelessness, violence, and suicide were frequent consequence of uninformed deinstitutionalization policies.
Reasons of the Innovative Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Training
Systematic interdisciplinary research training in mental health policy and economics research is unavailable in most countries. As a consequence, key policy decisions must either be informed by the few high quality research studies elsewhere (with limited applicability), or without research data at all. The *Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Training in Mental Health Policy and Economics Research* seeks to fill this gap by providing a systematic introductory program of training courses in mental health policy and economics research, a research field to be developed in quality and quantity in the world. A number of countries are currently undertaking substantial reforms of their mental health care and social services delivery and financing systems. Decision-making in public and private organizations requires science-based mental health policy and economic research studies in this reform process. This type of research has increasingly demonstrating its importance in informing decision-makers on the repercussions of these illnesses on patients, families, workplace and society, and on the impact of clinical, social, policy, financial interventions on health, quality of life and economic well-being of these vulnerable populations. These studies are critical in learning how to design cost-effective systems to improve the lives of those with mental and addictive disorders and their families. Obtaining sound scientific information in this field requires interdisciplinary collaboration among psychiatrists, psychologists, health economists, and public health researchers. This integrated approach brings together the strengths of each field to provide the best possible information to support the complex policy decisions regarding mental health care that confront governments. The *Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Training in Mental Health Policy and Economics Research* provides an integrated, coherent approach to training and developing new researchers in the field of mental health policy and economics involving an integrated program of face-to-face and internet-based introductory training courses with the aims of enabling them: to reach international standards for scientific quality (sharing up-to-date international methodology and developing sound research projects) and to develop complementary abilities needed in a research career (i.e. obtaining research grants, presenting research results at scientific meetings, publication in peer-reviewed journals, international networking to establish needed consultation and collaboration). The proposed training approach efficiently and consistently coordinates a number of events to offer new researchers the core skills they will need to conduct their own mental health policy and economics research along with the complementary skills needed to enhance their research career. Through this integrated training program, participants receive a comprehensive high quality introductory education, extensive personal interaction with international authorities in the field and with peers from the US, Europe and other countries, forming the basis for international collaborative research. The program is particularly innovative in its interdisciplinary approach, which is critical in this research field, and in providing systematic research education and training to participants from countries with limited or no existing opportunities for such training. The participants will have the opportunity to interact with recognized distinguished authorities in the field of research grant application, research development, research publication, and research presentation. The design of the training program provides participants with significant opportunities to build contacts for further research with leading authorities in the field and with other researchers from the US, EU and other countries. It will also enable participants to collaborate with researchers of other disciplines not only during the training program, but build contacts to collaborate in future research projects. The courses rely on an integrated, coherent approach to training and developing new researchers in the field of mental health policy ad economics, involving an integrated program of face-to-face and internet-based introductory training courses. The proposed courses will: Provide an introductory core education for facilitating the communication of research ideas among researchers of different scientific disciplines (clinicians, economists, and health services and public health researchers), countries, and organizations (universities, research centers, governmental institutions, industry). . Represent an international focal point, stimulating universities and governments to better understand the relevance of the field and to collaborate to further enhance the development of research and training in this field. Encourage the development of multisite interdisciplinary, international research Encourage public and private institutions to properly use research findings in decisions about mental health policy. Encourage high quality researchers to develop international research projects in this area Be especially significant in developing new researchers in countries without substantial expertise in this area.
Structure of the Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Training
The **Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Training in Mental Health Policy and Economics Research relies on an integrated, coherent approach to training and developing new researchers in the field of mental health policy ad economics. It involves an integrated program of face-to-face and internet-based training courses. MODULE 1 - Interdisciplinary Training Module 1 provides an interdisciplinary, introductory approach to the core components of the field of mental health policy and economics research to Participants and Research Mentees. MODULE 2 - Introduction to Selected Research Pathways Module 2 is aimed at introducing Participants and Research Mentees to a number of research pathways in mental health policy and economics). MODULE 3 - Development, Discussion and Presentation Research Project Mentored Experience Module 3 is aimed at enabling a selected number of Research Mentees to develop, discuss and present a mentored research project. The competitive Research Mentorship Awards in mental health policy and economics** are aimed at investing in international high quality research mentorship and at recognizing and supporting the mutual interest among: experts in mental health policy and economics research interested in international research mentorship, international research development and international consultancy researchers willing to focus their activities and career on mental health policy and economics to build/enhance research capacity and research grant application through international mentorship The applications of the Candidate Research Mentors are reviewed for technical merit by a 5 to 7 members panel of international experts in this area and secondary policy review is conducted by ICMPE and WPA.

2006-2009 - Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Training

The 2006-2009 edition of the Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Training in Mental Health Policy and Economics Research is currently in process.

Module 1 has been developed in Venice in July 2006 and has been attended by researchers from 13 countries (half of them with a professor/associate professor degree).
Please, visit the Module 1 Evaluation Scores assigned by the attenders.

Modules 2-3 are currently ongoing and the results will be presented at the 9th Workshop on Costs and Assessment in Psychiatry – Quality and Outcomes in Mental Health Policy and Economics , Venice, March 27-29, 2009.

2008-2011 - Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Training

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Assessorato Politiche Sociali
e Rapporti con il Volontariato

Eli-Lilly

back

ICMPE
Via Daniele Crespi, 7
20123 Milano, Italy
fax: +39-02-5810 6901
email to: info@icmpe.org
last modified: