Mental Health Services Research (MHSR) is the extension of Health Services Research to the specific domain of mental health and psychiatric care. It is a multidisciplinary scientific field that examines how mental health care is organised, combining assessments from three levels: users of services and their community (needs, access), care professionals and services (collaboration, therapeutic alliance, continuity of care), and policies and systems (service networks, provision, funding, and governance).
The MHSR group within the IRSS aims to facilitate an open interdisciplinary environment and to favour collaboration, information exchange, and evidence-based good practice. As a university team, it also centrally acts as a tool for knowledge and good-practice dissemination to all stakeholders in the field: researchers and teachers, clinicians, policy-makers, users and their relatives. The MHSR group is also acknowledged as « Contact Group » by the FNRS and organises an annual seminar as to favour collaboration and exchange between researchers and field professionals.
The MHSR group is under the academic responsibility of Pr V. Lorant and Pr. V. Dubois. It is coordinated by Dr. P. Nicaise. The Contact Group is co-chaired by Pr. F. Schoenars (ULg).