Academy calls for shift in focus on mental health research

Researchers need to gather more evidence on the best ways to promote good mental health and prevent mental health problems, the UK’s national academy for the medical sciences has said.

In a report published on 12 November, the Academy of Medical Sciences warns that the evidence base for promoting mental health and prevention of mental illness is less well established than the evidence base for actually treating problems.

More research is needed on topics including the social determinants of poor mental health, how to develop resilience, and interventions to prevent mental health problems in mothers, it says.