NIMH Conference to Explore Mental Health Services Research

Registration and call for abstracts now open

May 14, 2018 • Institute Update

In August 2018, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is hosting the 24th Mental Health Services Research (MHSR) Conference with the theme: What’s the Next Big Thing? MHSR is organized every other year by the Services Research and Clinical Epidemiology Branch, part of NIMH’s Division of Services and Intervention Research. The conference aims to promote high-priority areas in mental health services research and identify opportunities with potential for significant impact for people with mental disorders.

The MHSR is the nation’s premier mental health services research conference. It brings together leading mental health services researchers, clinicians, mental health advocates, and federal and non-federal partners. This year, MHSR will feature state-of-the-art research presented via keynote speakers, thematic panels, discussion groups, papers, and posters.

“MHSR is an opportunity to collaborate and network with peers, learn from experts, and discuss the latest research in mental health services—research that is crucial to closing the science-to-service delivery gap,” explained Michael Freed, Ph.D., EMT-B., one of the conference co-chairs. “This year’s conference will focus on what is driving today’s research and how the latest findings can help make a positive impact on the health and well-being of people with mental disorders.”

Services research aims to improve access, continuity, quality, equity, and value of mental health care, and it includes the science of dissemination and implementation; a mission crucial to closing the science-to-service delivery gap. The conference will highlight the role of mental health services research to:

Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of mental health services.
Establish research partnerships.
Develop innovative service delivery models to dramatically improve mental health services outcomes.
Evaluate the public health impact of mental health research.

Abstracts are due June 1, 2018:

Submit abstracts for individual papers, symposia, posters related to research projects.
Submit abstracts for “The Next Big Thing” plenary session.

There is no registration fee, but registration is required. For more information or to register, visit the MHSR registration website. Follow MHSR 2018 on Twitter using the hashtag #MHSR2018.