Through a number of new funding partnerships, several key initiatives have been put in place to build capacity for applied, practice-driven mental health research across Alberta.
Mental Health Research Showcase
The Mental Health Research Showcase is a unique learning opportunity for the mental health community to explore research, leading practice and innovation in advancing mental health. It aims to expand mental health research, bridge the gaps among research, practice, and policy and encourage research utilization to continually improve services and outcomes for individuals and their families.
Visit the Alberta Mental Health Research Partnership Program website for more information and summaries of the 2007 Showcase.
Mark your calendars! The Fourth Annual Mental Health Research Showcase will take place November 19-21, 2008.
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Alberta Centennial Mental Health Research Chairs
The recruitment of nine Research Chairs over the next five years is key to advancing the Alberta Mental Health Research Partnership Program.
The Alberta Centennial Mental Health Research Chair Program aims to increase the generation of world class mental health research in Alberta and enhance knowledge exchange between research and practice. Recruitment for three Chairs is proceeding in collaboration with the Ministry of Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, Alberta Health and Wellness, Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, Alberta Mental Health Board, the Universities of Alberta, Calgary and Lethbridge, the Regional Health Authorities and a private foundation.
Chair candidates are leading health services and/or population health researchers with expertise in one of the priority areas: child and adolescent mental health, mental illness and addictions, and workplace mental health. The overall goal of the Chair Program is to recruit a total of nine mental health Research Chairs over the next five years.
Funding commitments from the Alberta Mental Health Board, Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, Alberta Health and Wellness, AADAC and a private foundation have enabled the current recruitment effort for three of these nationally- and internationally-recognized experts.
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AMHB and SEARCH Canada Pilot Initiative
The Alberta Mental Health Board and SEARCH Canada (Swift Efficient Application of Research in Community Health) have partnered in a pilot initiative to build capacity for applied, practice-driven mental health research in Alberta’s health regions.
This initiative will advance the objectives of Alberta’s Mental Health Research Partnership Program by increasing the capacity of the Regional Health Authorities to engage in mental health research and evaluation activities.
The AMHB is sponsoring two mental health professionals working in rural areas to attend the 2-year SEARCH VI program. In addition, the pilot supports a mental health researcher to join the SEARCH Faculty team to provide instruction and mentorship for program participants.
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Alberta Mental Health Board Summer Employment Research Program (ASERP)
The Alberta Mental Health Board Summer Employment Research Program (ASERP) is designed to build and support capacity for mental health research, evaluation, and quality improvement activities. Similar to the STEP Program, ASERP offers subsidized wages to Regional Health Authorities, Aboriginal community groups and non-profit mental health organizations to employ undergraduate and graduate students over the summer.
Under the employer’s direction, students work on projects aimed at advancing the evidence-based mental health goals of the organization. The students will work on projects related to the priority areas and cross cutting themes established in the Alberta Mental Health Research Partnership Program.
The 2007 ASERP Program awarded 22 subsidized positions – 14 to Regional Health Authorities, six to not-for-profit organizations and two to Aboriginal community groups in the province.
More information on ASERP as well as the 2008 application forms are available on the Research Partnership website. This year's deadline for submitting applications is February 22nd, 2008.
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Mental Health Research Studentships
In 2006 the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) and the Alberta Mental Health Board formed a partnership to increase the number of studentships, enabling more students to undertake mental health research.
For the October 2007 competition, two mental health research studentships were awarded.
We extend congratulations to:
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Salma Khaled, University of Calgary: Reciprocal Effects of Nicotine Dependence and Major Depressive Disorder in the Canadian Population.
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Rachel D. Grills, University of Alberta: Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Major Depressive Disorder: The Effect of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Brain Development.
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Mental Health Economics
The Alberta Mental Health Board and the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) have jointly released the 
Mental Health Economic Statistics: In Your Pocket booklet, a first of its kind publication that provides information about the economic burden of mental illness in Canada.
The innovative publication, presented in easy-to-reference, clear and concise pocketbook style, emphasizes three central themes:
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The burden of mental illness and how Canada compares to other countries on some indicators;
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Resources that are currently being used to address this burden; and
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The performance of Canada's mental health system in the allocation of these resources.
The booklet shows what is currently taking place on a provincial, national and international level. It will enable policy makers and planners to gain a broad economic perspective on the current mental health system, reduce the social and economic burden of mental illness, and to improve the overall mental health system by providing accurate, timely information.
The pocketbook is currently being translated into French and will be available in the near future.
For more information, or copies of the pocketbook call the IHE (780) 448-4881.
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Mental Health Technology Assessment (MHTA)
The Alberta Mental Health Board (AMHB) and the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) have partnered to provide an individual with a full time skills development opportunity in producing a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in the area of mental health. The project will focus on workplace mental health, one of the research priorities of the Alberta Mental Health Research Partnership Program. More specifically, the MHTA will look at the effectiveness of organizational interventions for the prevention of stress in the workplace.
The importance of reducing stress in the workplace is quite clear when we look at the research evidence. Work-related stress has been linked to depression and depression has been linked to reduced productivity in terms of absenteeism, presenteeism, and short- and long-term disability.
The full HTA report is expected to be published in the spring of 2008.
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The Alberta Research and Innovation Centre in Mental Health
The Alberta Research and Innovation Centre is one initiative of the Alberta Mental Health Research Partnership Program. The Centre will function as a web-based resource, coordinating efforts and communications among a network of stakeholders dedicated to the advancement of mental health.
Enhancing knowledge exchange and providing opportunities for researchers and service providers to work together on projects will be a strong focus of the Centre. Encouraging collaboration will expedite the application of research findings into practice and policy and achieve better mental health outcomes for our communities.
The Centre will continually evolve to serve the information needs of researchers, practitioners, policy makers and consumers.