Building Bridges Between Evidence and Policy in Mental Health Services Research: Introducing the Policy Review Article Type.

Journal Article (Journal Article;Review)

Although it is widely accepted that patients do better when evidence-based health care practices are used, there is less acknowledgment of the positive outcomes associated with evidence-based policy making. To address the need for high-quality evidence to inform mental health policies, Psychiatric Services has recently launched a new article format: the Policy Review. This review type defines a specific policy-relevant issue affecting behavioral health systems, describes current knowledge and limitations, and discusses policy implications. Reviews can focus on mental health policies or examine how other health or social policies affect people with mental illness or substance use disorders. This brief overview of the need for a policy review article type describes differences between evidence-based policy making and practices and looks at research approaches focused on evidence-based policy making, as well as legislative and other efforts to support it. Broad guidelines for potential submissions are also provided.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Goldman, ML; Swartz, MS; Norquist, GS; Horvitz-Lennon, M; Balasuriya, L; Jorgensen, S; Greiner, M; Brinkley, A; Hayes, H; Isom, J; Dixon, LB; Druss, BG

Published Date

  • October 1, 2022

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 73 / 10

Start / End Page

  • 1165 - 1168

PubMed ID

  • 35378994

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1557-9700

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1176/appi.ps.202100428

Language

  • eng

Conference Location

  • United States