Archive 1992–2014
Mental health research in Poland at the beginning of the 21st century
Objectives. For years the WHO has been calling for the current research into mental health to be used not only to identify the needs in this area, but also to improve resources utilization, research policy development, and in consequence, mental health action. Implementing these ideas the WHO launched a project entitled "Mental health research and its infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries ". The project, carried out in 10 countries worldwide including Poland, was aimed to obtain information about mental health related research and its resources in the year 2003.
Method. Two questionnaires developed by the WHO were used in the study: one concerning the country profile, and the other - institutions involved in broadly defined mental health research. Official documents and statistical data served as sources for the first questionnaire. The second one was mailed to 55 mental health research institutions. Data received from 38 centres were processed and statistically extrapolated so as to provide a general picture.
Results. The paper presents research policy changes in Poland in the 15-year period of transformation, as well as goals and priorities in mental health research, its financing, human resources, publications, dissemination of research results, and ethical issues. About 6% of the total number of researchers in medical sciences were involved in mental health research. Approximately 10% of the total funding for research in medical sciences was allotted to the mental health field. 5.5% of medical publications in Polish journals dealt with mental health.
Conclusions. Goals and priorities in mental health research should be clearly formulated. The expenditure on research in this field was definitely insufficient. Despite the difficulties, mental health research dealt with current scientific questions and was relevant to mental health practice demands. A periodical updating of mental health research and its infrastructure evaluation would allow to objectively identify the existing trends.