Development of a data-informed research strategy for a public mental health service using stakeholder consultation

Abstract

Objective

To develop a data-informed research strategy for a public mental health service (MHS).

Methods

Data collection involved consultation with MHS key stakeholders and external partners and a MHS staff survey regarding research training, experience, needs and suggested research themes for the MHS. Results were descriptively analysed, discussed in a MHS research planning workshop and used to inform the research strategy.

Results

Enablers of research included time, funding, research training and resources/infrastructure and linkage with supervisors/mentors. Barriers included lack of time, funding/resources and managerial support, competing clinical demands and lacking confidence, skills or experience. Key workshop outcomes were two strategic goals: to build a collaborative research culture, and to focus on translational multidisciplinary research which improves outcomes and experiences for consumers, families and MHS staff. To achieve goals, strategic actions with matching priorities and signs of success were outlined.

Conclusions

Multidisciplinary and peer worker staff perspectives directly informed development of the MHS’s Strategic Plan for Research, anchoring the plan in the local context and identifying strengths and limitations to be addressed to achieve the Plan. These study findings may assist other public MHSs wishing to establish their own research strategy and embed a research culture as part of clinical practice.

Keywords

research capacity academic psychiatry clinician-scientist research translation

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

NSW Ministry of Health . NSW health and medical research strategic review. North Sydney: NSW Ministry of Health, 2012. https://www.medicalresearch.nsw.gov.au/app/uploads/2018/07/strategic-review-report-2012.pdf

NSW Ministry of Health . NSW health and medical research hub strategy 2014 – 2019 2014. North Sydney: NSW Ministry of Health. at://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/. https://www.medicalresearch.nsw.gov.au/app/uploads/2018/08/Research-Hubs-strategy-booklet.pdf

Cooke

. A framework to evaluate research capacity building in health care. BMC Fam Pract 2005; 6: 44. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2296-6-44.

Boaz

Hanney

Jones

, et al. Does the engagement of clinicians and organisations in research improve healthcare performance: a three-stage review. BMJ Open 2015; 5: e009415. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009415.

Husain

. Why the next generation of UK clinician scientists is under threat. Brain 2021; 144: 3277–3278. DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab381.

Suetani

Every-Palmer

Galbally

, et al. Reviving academic psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand. Aust N Z J Psychiatr 2022; 56: 425–427. DOI: 10.1177/00048674221091927.

Henderson

Porter

Basset

, et al. Why academic psychiatry is endangered. Aust N Z J Psychiatr 2015; 49: 9–12. DOI: 10.1177/0004867414563453.

Utz

Jain

Cheung

, et al. Translating science to medicine: the case for physician-scientists. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14: eabg7852. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg7852.

Frederick

Eratne

Velakoulis

, et al.

How many Early Career Psychiatrists participate in research and what are the motivating factors?

Aust N Z J Psychiatr 2022; 56: 1363–1366. DOI: 10.1177/00048674221109445.

10.

Dickens

Avantaggiato-Quinn

Long

, et al. Mental health nurses' and allied health professionals' individual research capacity and organizational research culture: a comparative study. SAGE Open Nurs 2024; 10: 23779608241250207. DOI: 10.1177/23779608241250207.

11.

Borkowski

McKinstry

Cotchett

, et al. Research culture in allied health: a systematic review. Aust J Prim Health 2016; 22: 294–303. DOI: 10.1071/PY15122.

12.

Migliorini

McDowell

Turville

, et al. Research capacity and culture in an Australian metropolitan public mental health service: scoping the skills and experience of social workers and occupational therapists. BMC Med Educ 2022; 22: 864. DOI: 10.1186/s12909-022-03936-0.

13.

Innes

Taylor

Hope

. Evaluating the research capacity and culture of an urban mental health and wellbeing program. Aust Health Rev. 2024; 49: AH24223. DOI: 10.1071/AH24223.

14.

Lee

Byth

Gifford

, et al. Assessment of health research capacity in western Sydney local health District (WSLHD): a study on medical, nursing and allied health professionals. J Multidiscip Healthc 2020; 13: 153–163. DOI: 10.2147/JMDH.S222987.

15.

Lee

Gifford

Flood

. Enablers and barriers of research engagement among clinician researchers: nursing, allied health and medical professionals. J Multidiscip Healthc 2024; 17: 4075–4087. DOI: 10.2147/JMDH.S463837.

16.

Braun

Clarke

. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol 2006; 3: 77–101.

17.

Weggemans

Friesen

Kluijtmans

, et al. Critical gaps in understanding the clinician-scientist workforce: results of an international expert meeting. Acad Med 2019; 94: 1448–1454. DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000002802.

18.

Noble

Owens

Andre

, et al. Securing the future of the clinician-scientist. Nat Can (Ott) 2020; 1: 139–141. DOI: 10.1038/s43018-019-0005-y.

19.

Northwood

Eggleston

Every-Palmer

, et al. Research letter: the state of academic psychiatry in aotearoa New Zealand and Australia: data from a survey of the royal Australian and New Zealand College of psychiatrists membership. Aust N Z J Psychiatr 2024; 58: 537–539. DOI: 10.1177/00048674241240592.

20.

National Health and Medical Research Council . Investigating clinician researcher career pathways project: summary report to the NHMRC chief executive officer. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council, 2021.

21.

de Groot

Baggen

Moolenaar

, et al. Clinician-scientists in-and-between research and practice: how social identity shapes brokerage. Minerva 2021; 59: 1–15. DOI: 10.1007/s11024-020-09420-7.

22.

Lemoine

. The clinician-scientist: a rare breed under threat in a hostile environment. Dis Model Mech 2008; 1: 12–14. DOI: 10.1242/dmm.000752.

23.

The Task Force on the Future of Clinician Scientists at UCSF . The future of clinician scientists: task force initial report and recommendations. San Francisco, California: University of California Academic Senate, 2001. https://senate.ucsf.edu/recentreports/clinicianscientistreport.html (Accessed 16 9 2024).

24.

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) . Guidelines for guidelines: consumer involvement 2018. https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelinesforguidelines/plan/consumer-involvement#toc__484. (accessed 17 9 24).

25.

River

Bellingham

Isobel

, et al. Raising the bar: a qualitative study of a co-produced model for promoting research partnerships in mental health. Int J Qual Methods 2023; 22: 16094069231213268. DOI: 10.1177/16094069231213268.

26.

Bellingham

Kemp

Boydell

, et al. Towards epistemic justice doing: examining the experiences and shifts in knowledge of lived experience researchers over the course of a mental health research training programme. Int J Ment Health Nurs 2021; 30: 1588–1598. DOI: 10.1111/inm.12910.

27.

Gupta

Eames

Golding

, et al. Understanding the identity of lived experience researchers and providers: a conceptual framework and systematic narrative review. Res Involv Engagem 2023; 9: 26. DOI: 10.1186/s40900-023-00439-0.

28.

Gupta

Eames

Bryant

, et ala. Identifying the priorities for supervision by lived experience researchers: a Q sort study. Res Involv Engagem 2024; 10: 66. DOI: 10.1186/s40900-024-00596-w.

29.

Suetani

Burgher

Mosley

, et al. Welcome to the breakfast Club: building academic psychiatry capacity in Queensland. Aust N Z J Psychiatr 2021; 55: 1031–1032. DOI: 10.1177/00048674211025630.

30.

Wuchty

Jones

Uzzi

. The increasing dominance of teams in production of knowledge. Science 2007; 316: 1036–1039. DOI: 10.1126/science.1136099.

31.

Boynton

. Administering, analysing, and reporting your questionnaire. BMJ 2004; 328(7452): 1372–1375.