4858 Mental Health Report - National University of Ireland, Galway

Project Aims and Objectives
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This report looks specifically at cross-border co-operation in the development of
effective mental health promotion policies on a strategic North-South basis. The
use of rigorous data sources combined with the identification of collaborative
models of good practice will provide a sound empirical base for the development
of effective policy and practice on a cross-border basis. This multi-focused data set
will provide a valuable resource for the strategic planning of such bodies as the
recently established all-island Institute of Public Health in Ireland and respective
national and regional health agencies. Recommendations will be made with regard
to strategies and structures for the development and delivery of sustainable
collaborative programmes aimed at enhancing the mental health and improved
quality of life of the wider community. Due to the nature of funding, the project
was carried out in two distinct phases, hereafter called Phase 1 and Phase 2.
The aims of the overall project are:
• To document the current extent and nature of mental health promotion
strategies being implemented on a cross-border basis.
• Using the case study method, to carry out an in-depth investigation of a
selected number of projects in order to identify the key barriers and challenges
to conducting cross-border co-operation.
• To identify examples of good practice and examine their policy implications.
• To assess existing data on mental health status, lifestyles, quality of life and
inequalities for comparability between the North and South with a view to
sharing and harmonising existing data sources.
• To make recommendations on the opportunities for strategic North South cooperation
in the development of collaborative mental health promotion policies
and practices.
There are two main strands of work within the project:
A: Investigation of cross-border collaborative mental health promotion practices.
B: Compatibility and comparability of mental health and related health data
sources.
The key objectives of each strand of Phase 1 are outlined below.
Strand A. Investigation of Cross-Border Collaborative Mental Health Promotion
Practices
The objectives for Strand A of the project are:
• To establish an inventory of current levels of co-operation in the promotion of
mental health on a North-South basis.
• To categorise the range and extent of collaborative interventions, documenting
their focus, funding, co-operative mechanisms and implementation
strategies.
• To select from this inventory up to five case studies of
collaborative initiatives which can be examined in greater
detail concerning the challenges, opportunities and
obstacles to co-operation.
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