Topics and activities

IRSS Bruxelles Woluwe

Studies in MHSR investigate how social determinants, personal behaviours, organisational structures and processes, policies, provision and financing systems, may affect mental health services and system performance and the user’s quality of life and personal recovery.

1) Mental health care organisation in Belgium

  • Organisation of mental health care for adults in Belgium: advantages, barriers, gaps, and overlaps in the current supply of mental health care services (2017-2018)
    Team : Vincent Lorant; Sophie Thunus; Pablo Nicaise; Pierre Smith, doctorant; Carole Walker, doctorante
  • Parcours@bxl : qualitative study of mental-health users' care trajectories in Brussels (2018).
    Team : Sophie Thunus; Pablo Nicaise; Carole Walker
  • Evaluation of the reform “Towards better mental health care” (Art. 107) (2011-2016)
    Academic leader : Vincent Lorant
  • DRUGROOM – Feasibility study of the implementation of Drug Consumption Rooms in Belgium (2018)
    Team : Pierre Smith; Pablo Nicaise
  • FOR-CARE – Realist evaluation of care trajectories and settings for patients under the internment regime in Belgium (2015-2019)
    Team : Vincent Lorant; Pablo Nicaise

2) Social determinants of mental health and inequalities

  • Covid and I. The world is facing the coronavirus epidemic. To deal with this, governments are taking steps to limit contact and activity. It is important to know how this affects the psychological and social well-being of the population. The UCLouvain is launching an extensive investigation to find out more about this. More information
  • EGONET : Promoting social support network mapping with severe mentally ill patients to improve care coordination, patient involvement, and personalised care
  • REMEDI : GP’s recommendations to migrant patients with mental illness
    Team : Brice Lepièce; Marie Dauvrin; Stéphanie Demoulin; Camille Duveau
  • Morpheus : MObilisation du REseau par les USagers (2012-2016)
    Study on the use of the social support network of people with severe and chronic mental illness related to continuity of care (Main researcher: F. Wyngaerden)

3) Services coordination

  • RESPOND : Improving the Preparedness of Health Systems to Reduce Mental Health and Psychosocial Concerns resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic
    European research project carried out in 8 European countries. Study of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent containment policies on the mental health of the general and specific vulnerable populations, including frontline health workers.The MHSR group is co-responsible of a Work Package about how mental health is set on the agenda of covid-19 policies of European countries, in close collaboration with the London School of Economics. The group also conducts an implementation study of a self-help and problem management intervention for frontline workers in long-term care facilities in Belgium, and contributes to an international comparison of studies on the impact of covid-19 on the mental health of the general population.
    Team: Vincent Lorant; Pablo Nicaise et Pierre Smith; Katharina Sebeer, Audrey Delaire
  • EVADRUG : Evaluation of the Belgian Drug Policy
    Team : Pablo Nicaise;Vanessa Makola