Parental mental health and reporting of their child's behaviour: measurement invariance of the French version of the parental strengths and difficulties questionnaire.

Symptomatic effects of mental disorders in parents could bias their reporting on their child's mental health. This study aimed to investigate the measurement invariance of the French version of the parental Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) across parental mental health in a sample (N = 20,765) of parents of children aged 3 to 17 years in France. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (ESEM) were used to evaluate the fit of three known alternative SDQ factor structures (five, three, or second-order factor structures). Invariance was tested across parental mental health (present anxiety and depressive symptoms, psychiatric history) and across socio-demographic characteristics (child's age, child's gender, parent's gender, parent's educational level). CFA models showed a poor fit, while all ESEM models achieved acceptable or good fit, with the five-factor model presenting the best fit. Invariance was observed for all characteristics tested, indicating that the SDQ can be used to study the links between parental mental health and their child's mental health without bias. However, ESEM showed that the hyperactivity/inattention and conduct problems dimensions were not well differentiated in the French version of the SDQ.

Income and professional inequalities in chronic diseases: prevalence and incidence in France.

OBJECTIVES: In France, almost nine of 10 deaths are caused by non-communicable diseases, and there is significant social inequality in mortality rates. However, it is not easy to collect robust data on the incidence and prevalence of such diseases according to socio-economic status. Based on data from the link between the primary longitudinal population sample and the national health data system, the aim of our study was to compute the standardised incidence and prevalence of seven major groups of chronic diseases according to socio-economic status. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive retrospective cohort study. METHODS: This was a descriptive retrospective cohort study on a weighted representative sample of the French population, comprising 3.4 million individuals from data collected 2016-2017. Main chronic disease categories include diabetes, cancers, psychiatric disorders, liver and pancreatic diseases, neurological conditions, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, calculated from the 2016-2017 period by combining health care consumption and diagnoses received during hospitalisations and/or associated with specific full healthcare coverage. Socio-economic status was measured by disposable income from the 2013-2014 tax returns and census-derived socioprofessional groups, and findings were standardised for age and sex. RESULTS: For all disease categories except cancers, standardised incidence rates showed a gradient favouring the wealthiest, with a risk ratio between the first and tenth standard of living deciles ranging from 1.4 (cardiovascular diseases) to 2.8 (diabetes). Incidence of all disease categories, except cancers, was higher for all groups compared with executives and higher academic professions (risk ratios between workers and executives ranged from 2.0 to 1.3 in psychiatric and cardiovascular diseases, respectively). Conversely, cancer incidence rate followed a flat curve, reduced in the two poorest standard of living deciles, and there were no significant differences between socioprofessional groups. Standardised prevalence rates followed the same patterns, although risk ratios were highest for psychiatric diseases, varying according to sex and disease. CONCLUSIONS: Deep social inequalities in incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases were observed in a large representative sample of the French population. The reverse social inequalities in cancer incidence and prevalence calls for more detailed research into cancer types and selection mechanisms, the data from which would allow the long-term monitoring of such disparities.

High screen time and internalizing and externalizing behaviours among children aged 3 to 14 years during the COVID-19 pandemic in France.

Children's screen time increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the summer of 2021, we explored the association between high screen time over a period of one year since May 2020 and behavioural problems among children and adolescents. The data were derived from the French EpiCov cohort study, collected in spring 2020, autumn 2020, and spring 2021. Participants (N = 1089) responded to online or telephone interviews about one of their children aged 3 to 14 years. Screen time was categorized as high if the daily mean screen time exceeded recommendations at each collection time. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was completed by parents to identify internalizing (emotional or peer problems) and externalizing (conduct problems or hyperactivity/inattention) behaviours in their children. Among the 1,089 children, 561 (51.5%) were girls, the average age was 8.6 years (SD 3.7). Internalizing behaviours: High screen time was not associated with internalizing behaviours (OR [95% CI] 1.20 [0.90-1.59]) or emotional symptoms (1.00 [0.71-1.41]) while it was associated with peer problems (1.42 [1.04-1.95]). Externalizing behaviours: High screen time was associated with externalizing problems (1.63 [1.01-2.63]) and conduct problems (1.91 [1.15-3.22]) only among older children aged 11 to 14 years. No association with hyperactivity/inattention was found. In a French cohort, exploration of persistent high screen time in the first year of the pandemic and behaviour difficulties in Summer 2021 resulted in mixed findings according to behaviour's type and children's age. These mixed findings warrant further investigation into screen type and leisure/school screen use to enhance future pandemic responses appropriate for children.

Suicidal ideation following self-reported COVID-19-like symptoms or serology-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in France: A propensity score weighted analysis from a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: A higher risk of suicidal ideation associated with self-report of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-like symptoms or COVID-19 infection has been observed in cross-sectional studies, but evidence from longitudinal studies remains limited. The aims of this study were 2-fold: (1) to explore if self-reported COVID-19-like symptoms in 2020 were associated with suicidal ideation in 2021; (2) to explore if the association also existed when using a biological marker of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in 2020. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A total of 52,050 participants from the French EpiCov cohort were included (median follow-up time = 13.7 months). In terms of demographics, 53.84% were women, 60.92% were over 45 years old, 82.01% were born in mainland France from parents born in mainland France, and 59.38% completed high school. COVID-19-like symptoms were defined as participant report of a sudden loss of taste/smell or fever alongside cough, shortness of breath, or chest oppression, between February and November 2020. Symptoms were self-reported at baseline in May 2020 and at the first follow-up in Autumn 2020. Serology-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in 2020 was derived from Spike protein ELISA test screening in dried-blood-spot samples. Samples were collected from October 2020 to March 2021, with 94.4% collected in 2020. Suicidal ideation since December 2020 was self-reported at the second follow-up in Summer 2021. Associations of self-reported COVID-19-like symptoms and serology-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in 2020 with suicidal ideation in 2021 were ascertained using modified Poisson regression models, weighted by inverse probability weights computed from propensity scores. Among the 52,050 participants, 1.68% [1.54% to 1.82%] reported suicidal ideation in 2021, 9.57% [9.24% to 9.90%] had a serology-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in 2020, and 13.23% [12.86% to 13.61%] reported COVID-19-like symptoms in 2020. Self-reported COVID-19-like symptoms in 2020 were associated with higher risks of later suicidal ideation in 2021 (Relative Riskipw [95% CI] = 1.43 [1.20 to 1.69]), while serology-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in 2020 was not (RRipw = 0.89 [0.70 to 1.13]). Limitations of this study include the use of a single question to assess suicidal ideation, the use of self-reported history of mental health disorders, and limited generalizability due to attrition bias. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported COVID-19-like symptoms in 2020, but not serology-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in 2020, were associated with a higher risk of subsequent suicidal ideation in 2021. The exact role of SARS-CoV-2 infection with respect to suicide risk has yet to be clarified. Including mental health resources in COVID-19-related settings could encourage symptomatic individuals to care for their mental health and limit suicidal ideation to emerge or worsen.

Labor market participation and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic among young adults (18 to 30 years): A nationally representative study in France.

Objective: To examine the relationship between young adults' labor force participation and depression in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design setting participants: Data come from the nationally-representative EPICOV cohort study set up in France, and were collected in 2020 and 2021 (3 waves of online or telephone interviews: 02/05/2020-12/06/2020; 26/10/2020-14/12/2020; 24/06/2021-09/08/2021) among 2,217 participants aged 18-30 years. Participants with prior mental health disorder (n = 50) were excluded from the statistical analyses. Results: Using Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models controlled for participants' socio-demographic and health characteristics and weighted to be nationally-representative, we found that compared to young adults who were employed, those who were studying or unemployed were significantly more likely to experience depression assessed using the PHQ-9 (multivariable ORs, respectively: OR: 1.29, 95% CI 1.05-1.60 and OR: 1.50, 1.13-1.99). Stratifying the analyses by age, we observed that unemployment was more strongly associated with depression among participants 25-30 years than among those who were 18-24 years (multivariable ORs, respectively, 1.78, 95% CI 1.17-2.71 and 1.41, 95% CI 0.96-2.09). Being out of the labor force was, to the contrary, more significantly associated with depression among participants 18-24 years (multivariable OR: 1.71, 95% CI 1.04-2.82, vs. 1.00, 95% CI 0.53-1.87 among participants 25-30 years). Stratifying the analyses by sex, we found no significant differences in the relationships between labor market characteristics and depression (compared to participants who were employed, multivariable ORs associated with being a student: men: 1.33, 95% CI 1.01-1.76; women: 1.19, 95% CI 0.85-1.67, multivariable ORs associated with being unemployed: men: 1.60, 95% CI 1.04-2.45; women: 1.47, 95% CI 1.01-2.15). Conclusions and relevance: Our study shows that in addition to students, young adults who are unemployed also experience elevated levels of depression in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. These two groups should be the focus of specific attention in terms of prevention and mental health treatment. Supporting employment could also be a propitious way of reducing the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young adults.

A Data-Driven Clustering Method for Discovering Profiles in the Dynamics of Major Depressive Disorder Using a Smartphone-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment of Mood.

Background: Although major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by a pervasive negative mood, research indicates that the mood of depressed patients is rarely entirely stagnant. It is often dynamic, distinguished by highs and lows, and it is highly responsive to external and internal regulatory processes. Mood dynamics can be defined as a combination of mood variability (the magnitude of the mood changes) and emotional inertia (the speed of mood shifts). The purpose of this study is to explore various distinctive profiles in real-time monitored mood dynamics among MDD patients in routine mental healthcare. Methods: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data were collected as part of the cross-European E-COMPARED trial, in which approximately half of the patients were randomly assigned to receive the blended Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (bCBT). In this study a subsample of the bCBT group was included (n = 287). As part of bCBT, patients were prompted to rate their current mood (on a 1-10 scale) using a smartphone-based EMA application. During the first week of treatment, the patients were prompted to rate their mood on three separate occasions during the day. Latent profile analyses were subsequently applied to identify distinct profiles based on average mood, mood variability, and emotional inertia across the monitoring period. Results: Overall, four profiles were identified, which we labeled as: (1) "very negative and least variable mood" (n = 14) (2) "negative and moderate variable mood" (n = 204), (3) "positive and moderate variable mood" (n = 41), and (4) "negative and highest variable mood" (n = 28). The degree of emotional inertia was virtually identical across the profiles. Conclusions: The real-time monitoring conducted in the present study provides some preliminary indications of different patterns of both average mood and mood variability among MDD patients in treatment in mental health settings. Such varying patterns were not found for emotional inertia.

Effect of Sleep Disturbance Symptoms on Treatment Outcome in Blended Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression (E-COMPARED Study): Secondary Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbance symptoms are common in major depressive disorder (MDD) and have been found to hamper the treatment effect of conventional face-to-face psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy. To increase the dissemination of evidence-based treatment, blended cognitive behavioral therapy (bCBT) consisting of web-based and face-to-face treatment is on the rise for patients with MDD. To date, no study has examined whether sleep disturbance symptoms have an impact on bCBT treatment outcomes and whether it affects bCBT and treatment-as-usual (TAU) equally. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study are to investigate whether baseline sleep disturbance symptoms have an impact on treatment outcomes independent of treatment modality and whether sleep disturbance symptoms impact bCBT and TAU in routine care equally. METHODS: The study was based on data from the E-COMPARED (European Comparative Effectiveness Research on Blended Depression Treatment Versus Treatment-as-Usual) study, a 2-arm, multisite, parallel randomized controlled, noninferiority trial. A total of 943 outpatients with MDD were randomized to either bCBT (476/943, 50.5%) or TAU consisting of routine clinical MDD treatment (467/943, 49.5%). The primary outcome of this study was the change in depression symptom severity at the 12-month follow-up. The secondary outcomes were the change in depression symptom severity at the 3- and 6-month follow-up and MDD diagnoses at the 12-month follow-up, assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, respectively. Mixed effects models were used to examine the association of sleep disturbance symptoms with treatment outcome and treatment modality over time. RESULTS: Of the 943 patients recruited for the study, 558 (59.2%) completed the 12-month follow-up assessment. In the total sample, baseline sleep disturbance symptoms did not significantly affect change in depressive symptom severity at the 12-month follow-up (ß=.16, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.36). However, baseline sleep disturbance symptoms were negatively associated with treatment outcome for bCBT (ß=.49, 95% CI 0.22-0.76) but not for TAU (ß=-.23, 95% CI -0.50 to 0.05) at the 12-month follow-up, even when adjusting for baseline depression symptom severity. The same result was seen for the effect of sleep disturbance symptoms on the presence of depression measured with Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview at the 12-month follow-up. However, for both treatment formats, baseline sleep disturbance symptoms were not associated with depression symptom severity at either the 3- (ß=.06, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.23) or 6-month (ß=.09, 95% CI -0.10 to 0.28) follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline sleep disturbance symptoms may have a negative impact on long-term treatment outcomes in bCBT for MDD. This effect was not observed for TAU. These findings suggest that special attention to sleep disturbance symptoms might be warranted when MDD is treated with bCBT. Future studies should investigate the effect of implementing modules specifically targeting sleep disturbance symptoms in bCBT for MDD to improve long-term prognosis.

Examining the Theoretical Framework of Behavioral Activation for Major Depressive Disorder: Smartphone-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.

BACKGROUND: Behavioral activation (BA), either as a stand-alone treatment or as part of cognitive behavioral therapy, has been shown to be effective for treating depression. The theoretical underpinnings of BA derive from Lewinsohn et al's theory of depression. The central premise of BA is that having patients engage in more pleasant activities leads to them experiencing more pleasure and elevates their mood, which, in turn, leads to further (behavioral) activation. However, there is a dearth of empirical evidence about the theoretical framework of BA. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the assumed (temporal) associations of the 3 constructs in the theoretical framework of BA. METHODS: Data were collected as part of the "European Comparative Effectiveness Research on Internet-based Depression Treatment versus treatment-as-usual" trial among patients who were randomly assigned to receive blended cognitive behavioral therapy (bCBT). As part of bCBT, patients completed weekly assessments of their level of engagement in pleasant activities, the pleasure they experienced as a result of these activities, and their mood over the course of the treatment using a smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) application. Longitudinal cross-lagged and cross-sectional associations of 240 patients were examined using random intercept cross-lagged panel models. RESULTS: The analyses did not reveal any statistically significant cross-lagged coefficients (all P>.05). Statistically significant cross-sectional positive associations between activities, pleasure, and mood levels were identified. Moreover, the levels of engagement in activities, pleasure, and mood slightly increased over the duration of the treatment. In addition, mood seemed to carry over, over time, while both levels of engagement in activities and pleasurable experiences did not. CONCLUSIONS: The results were partially in accordance with the theoretical framework of BA, insofar as the analyses revealed cross-sectional relationships between levels of engagement in activities, pleasurable experiences deriving from these activities, and enhanced mood. However, given that no statistically significant temporal relationships were revealed, no conclusions could be drawn about potential causality. A shorter measurement interval (eg, daily rather than weekly EMA reports) might be more attuned to detecting potential underlying temporal pathways. Future research should use an EMA methodology to further investigate temporal associations, based on theory and how treatments are presented to patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02542891, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02542891; German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00006866, https://tinyurl.com/ybja3xz7; Netherlands Trials Register, NTR4962, https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/4838; ClinicalTrials.Gov, NCT02389660, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02389660; ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02361684, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02361684; ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02449447, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02449447; ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02410616, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02410616; ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN12388725, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN12388725.

International study of the prevalence and factors associated with insomnia in the general population.

OBJECTIVES: Insomnia is a public health problem with many repercussions. It affects a significant proportion of the general population worldwide, but the estimated prevalences in different countries are difficult to compare due to the use of heterogeneous methodologies. The objectives of the study were to compare the prevalence of insomnia in the general population in different sites around the world and to identify sociodemographic and mental health associated factors, using the same tool and within a single study. METHODS: This multicenter cross-sectional study is based on the Mental Health in the General Population survey (MHPG). It included several sites in France and 12 countries around the world with a representative sampling of the general population. The prevalence of short-term insomnia disorder was estimated by the occurrence within one month of at least one symptom, at a minimum frequency of three per week, with repercussions on everyday life. RESULTS: Out of the 57,298 participants, 11.3% had a diagnosis of short-term insomnia disorder, with significant differences in prevalence between sites, ranging from 2.3% to 25.5%. Insomnia was significantly related to having mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders and psychotic disorders. Insomnia was also more common among women, older adults, working participants and those who practice a religion. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of insomnia was highly variable between sites, but the predictors appeared to be the same everywhere. Insomnia seemed to be more related to the presence of mood and anxiety disorders than a site-specific effect and thus may be a good indicator of mental health.

Nurse coordinator roles in the management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A French national survey.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mostly occurs in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). HCC treatment may have a direct impact on CLD prognosis. HCC management can therefore become complex, involving multiple health care providers, such as oncologists, hepatologists, radiologists, and surgeons. In France, dedicated nurses have been involved in patient care pathways. Their impact is poorly documented. PURPOSE: To determine the country-wide distribution of HCC nurse coordinators in French health care settings and to describe their roles and responsibilities. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A survey using a multi-item questionnaire (including center characteristics, nurse coordinator characteristics, and quality indicators such as patient care pathway initiation timeline, scheduled length of hospital stay, diagnostic disclosure process) was conducted. All French liver cancer centers planning to participate in a prospective national cohort study for patients with HCC (CHIEF Cohort) were invited to take part in the survey. Bivariate analysis compared centers with a nurse coordinator to those without. RESULTS: Among the 42 of 72 centers that replied, 14 treated fewer than 75 HCC patients. Treatment mostly took place in hepatology units (34/42). Sixteen nurse coordinators were part of the health care team in 13 of the 42 centers. Among these 13 centers, 11 were university hospitals and 11 followed more than 75 patients per year. The median number of patients followed in these centers was 300 (min-max 44-600) in 2017. All nurse coordinators were involved in providing patient information and counseling. Other roles included treatment monitoring (13/16), care coordination (12/16), psychological support (12/16) and treatment planning (11/16). Thirteen nurse coordinators conducted diagnostic disclosure nurse consultations; seven conducted initial patient contact consultations; and six held outpatient nurse consultations, with wide heterogeneity between centers. The presence of a nurse coordinator was associated with completion of the full diagnostic disclosure process (p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: In France, nurse coordinators for HCC patient pathway management are present mainly in university hepatology units with a caseload of more than 75 patients per year. All provide patient information and counseling but their roles in care coordination, patient support and holistic assessment are heterogeneous and not standardized.

Using the Personalized Advantage Index for Individual Treatment Allocation to Blended Treatment or Treatment as Usual for Depression in Secondary Care.

A variety of effective psychotherapies for depression are available, but patients who suffer from depression vary in their treatment response. Combining face-to-face therapies with internet-based elements in the sense of blended treatment is a new approach to treatment for depression. The goal of this study was to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the most important predictors determining optimal treatment allocation to treatment as usual or blended treatment? and (2) Would model-determined treatment allocation using this predictive information and the personalized advantage index (PAI)-approach result in better treatment outcomes? Bayesian model averaging (BMA) was applied to the data of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the efficacy of treatment as usual and blended treatment in depressive outpatients. Pre-treatment symptomatology and treatment expectancy predicted outcomes irrespective of treatment condition, whereas different prescriptive predictors were found. A PAI of 2.33 PHQ-9 points was found, meaning that patients who would have received the treatment that is optimal for them would have had a post-treatment PHQ-9 score that is two points lower than if they had received the treatment that is suboptimal for them. For 29% of the sample, the PAI was five or greater, which means that a substantial difference between the two treatments was predicted. The use of the PAI approach for clinical practice must be further confirmed in prospective research; the current study supports the identification of specific interventions favorable for specific patients.

Unraveling the Black Box: Exploring Usage Patterns of a Blended Treatment for Depression in a Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Blended treatments, combining digital components with face-to-face (FTF) therapy, are starting to find their way into mental health care. Knowledge on how blended treatments should be set up is, however, still limited. To further explore and optimize blended treatment protocols, it is important to obtain a full picture of what actually happens during treatments when applied in routine mental health care. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to gain insight into the usage of the different components of a blended cognitive behavioral therapy (bCBT) for depression and reflect on actual engagement as compared with intended application, compare bCBT usage between primary and specialized care, and explore different usage patterns. METHODS: Data used were collected from participants of the European Comparative Effectiveness Research on Internet-Based Depression Treatment project, a European multisite randomized controlled trial comparing bCBT with regular care for depression. Patients were recruited in primary and specialized routine mental health care settings between February 2015 and December 2017. Analyses were performed on the group of participants allocated to the bCBT condition who made use of the Moodbuster platform and for whom data from all blended components were available (n=200). Included patients were from Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and France; 64.5% (129/200) were female and the average age was 42 years (range 18-74 years). RESULTS: Overall, there was a large variability in the usage of the blended treatment. A clear distinction between care settings was observed, with longer treatment duration and more FTF sessions in specialized care and a more active and intensive usage of the Web-based component by the patients in primary care. Of the patients who started the bCBT, 89.5% (179/200) also continued with this treatment format. Treatment preference, educational level, and the number of comorbid disorders were associated with bCBT engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Blended treatments can be applied to a group of patients being treated for depression in routine mental health care. Rather than striving for an optimal blend, a more personalized blended care approach seems to be the most suitable. The next step is to gain more insight into the clinical and cost-effectiveness of blended treatments and to further facilitate uptake in routine mental health care.

European mental health research resources: Picture and recommendations of the ROAMER project.

As part of the Roamer project, we sought to have a picture of the available mental health research (MHR) funding, capacity-building and infrastructures resources and to establish consensus-based recommendations that would allow an increase of European MHR resources and enable better use and accessibility to them. The methods fell into three sections (i) a review of the literature, (ii) a mental health-related keywords search within the Cordis®, On-Course® and Meril® databases which contain information on European research funding, training and infrastructures. These reviews provided an overview that was presented to (iii) two experts workshops with 28 participants drawn from academic which identified gaps and produced recommendations. The literature review illustrates the debates in the scientific community on funding, training and infrastructures. The database searches estimated the fraction of health research resources available for mental health. Eight overarching goals for MHR resources were identified by the workshops; each of them was carried out with several practical recommendations. Resources for MHR are scarce considering the burden of mental disorders, the high rate of return of MHR and the under-investment of the field. The recommendations are urgently warranted to increase resources and their optimal access and use.

National funding for mental health research in Finland, France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

As part of the Roamer project, we aimed at revealing the share of health research budgets dedicated to mental health, as well as on the amounts allocated to such research for four European countries. Finland, France, Spain and the United Kingdom national public and non-profit funding allocated to mental health research in 2011 were investigated using, when possible, bottom-up approaches. Specifics of the data collection varied from country to country. The total amount of public and private not for profit mental health research funding for Finland, France, Spain and the UK was €10·2, €84·8, €16·8, and €127·6 million, respectively. Charities accounted for a quarter of the funding in the UK and less than six per cent elsewhere. The share of health research dedicated to mental health ranged from 4·0% in the UK to 9·7% in Finland. When compared to the DALY attributable to mental disorders, Spain, France, Finland, and the UK invested respectively €12·5, €31·2, €39·5, and €48·7 per DALY. Among these European countries, there is an important gap between the level of mental health research funding and the economic and epidemiologic burden of mental disorders.

Mental health research priorities for Europe.

Mental and brain disorders represent the greatest health burden to Europe-not only for directly affected individuals, but also for their caregivers and the wider society. They incur substantial economic costs through direct (and indirect) health-care and welfare spending, and via productivity losses, all of which substantially affect European development. Funding for research to mitigate these effects lags far behind the cost of mental and brain disorders to society. Here, we describe a comprehensive, coordinated mental health research agenda for Europe and worldwide. This agenda was based on systematic reviews of published work and consensus decision making by multidisciplinary scientific experts and affected stakeholders (more than 1000 in total): individuals with mental health problems and their families, health-care workers, policy makers, and funders. We generated six priorities that will, over the next 5-10 years, help to close the biggest gaps in mental health research in Europe, and in turn overcome the substantial challenges caused by mental disorders.

Research priorities for public mental health in Europe: recommendations of the ROAMER project.

BACKGROUND: The ROAdmap for MEntal health Research in Europe project aimed to create an integrated European roadmap for mental health research. Leading mental health research experts across Europe have formulated consensus-based recommendations for future research within the public mental health field. METHODS: Experts were invited to compile and discuss research priorities in a series of topic-based scientific workshops. In addition, a Delphi process was carried out to reach consensus on the list of research priorities and their rank order. Three web-based surveys were conducted. Nearly 60 experts were involved in the priority setting process. RESULTS: Twenty priorities for public mental health research were identified through the consensus process. The research priorities were divided into summary principles-encompassing overall recommendations for future public mental health research in Europe-and thematic research priorities, including area-specific top priorities on research topics and methods. The priorities represent three overarching goals mirroring societal challenges, that is, to identify causes, risk and protective factors for mental health across the lifespan; to advance the implementation of effective public mental health interventions and to reduce disparities in mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of strengthening research on the implementation and dissemination of promotion, prevention and service delivery interventions in the mental health field needs to be emphasized. The complexity of mental health and its broader conceptualisation requires complementary research approaches and interdisciplinary collaboration to better serve the needs of the European population.

ROAMER: roadmap for mental health research in Europe.

Despite the high impact of mental disorders in society, European mental health research is at a critical situation with a relatively low level of funding, and few advances been achieved during the last decade. The development of coordinated research policies and integrated research networks in mental health is lagging behind other disciplines in Europe, resulting in lower degree of cooperation and scientific impact. To reduce more efficiently the burden of mental disorders in Europe, a concerted new research agenda is necessary. The ROAMER (Roadmap for Mental Health Research in Europe) project, funded under the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme, aims to develop a comprehensive and integrated mental health research agenda within the perspective of the European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 programme, with a translational goal, covering basic, clinical and public health research. ROAMER covers six major domains: infrastructures and capacity building, biomedicine, psychological research and treatments, social and economic issues, public health and well-being. Within each of them, state-of-the-art and strength, weakness and gap analyses were conducted before building consensus on future research priorities. The process is inclusive and participatory, incorporating a wide diversity of European expert researchers as well as the views of service users, carers, professionals and policy and funding institutions.