Conclusion - key lessons and emerging directions in the integration of research into mental health policy and practice

This concluding chapter reviews the key themes and associated lessons that the authors of the various chapters have examined. It begins with a discussion of psychiatric deinstitutionalization and its surrounding controversies. It then considers the associated privatization, devolution of decision making, and organizational fragmentation, and the resulting efforts to implement integrated or balanced mental health systems. A key cross-cutting theme discussed involve the various strategies for integrating research into policy, including evidence-based policy and practice, and implementation science. Other themes identified include the importance of context in policy making, enhancing the voice of marginalized populations such as children; patient rights, especially involving psychiatric commitment; issues with various service models, including psychotropics, case management, psychiatric rehabilitation, and assisted outpatient treatment; policy leadership on national and local levels; global mental health; and an examination of particular research methods as they relate to their integration in policy development. The chapter concludes with several recommendations for future research and mental health policy.