Mental Health

Research Appreciation Day – 8 Reasons To Appreciate Research

On July 5, 2023, MQ Mental Health Research will host our first Research Appreciation Day. For us, research is everything. It is the reason we exist at MQ Mental Health Research and our reason for fighting for a brighter and mentally healthier future for all of us. Your support makes it possible.

In celebration of Research Appreciation Day, here are 8 surprising things you may not already know about research.

1) Researchers are not all men in white coats

For a long time women were not encouraged to pursue research as a career. More can be done, and women still face many challenges in the field, and yet women are making great strides in research.

In fact, women have made amazing strides for years. Just three examples include the Oxford Astrazenica vaccine for Covid-19 invented by Sarah Gilbert and her team of women, the treatment for depression and HIV in hard-to-reach regions of Africa developed by Ethel Nakimuli-Mpungu, one of the first of MQ. Fellows, and a new treatment for healthcare workers with PTSD developed by Dr. Jennifer Wild.

Dr. Hilary Blumberg, a member of the MQ Science Council, says the lack of representation of women in STEM must be addressed by supporting women and other underrepresented groups in STEM at every stage of their career.

“I was lucky. When I started researching at the age of 16, I volunteered in a research lab and was mentored. It’s really important that prospective mentors support young people in the early stages, provide them with opportunities to get into the pipeline, and then support them throughout their careers.”

Still, it is important to note that women, as well as racially marginalized groups, researchers with disabilities, researchers from Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), and members of the trans community are currently underrepresented in funding for research. the investigation. More can and should be done to ensure equal opportunities for all.

2) Critique of research needs

When it comes to research, no one is beyond criticism. In fact, to be reliable and credible, research papers must be questioned. And yet, like so many things in life, criticism can be biased.

Research papers must be questioned. Critical analysis of research papers. it is an important skill used in the field of research. The evaluation is usually carried out by scientific experts in the field and ensures that only high-quality research is funded and published. This ensures that the science is valid, the methods used are appropriate, the findings are important and original. This, in turn, means that the findings are more likely to have a far-reaching impact.

While it is useful to consider credibility, the validity and reliability of the data are just as important. Let’s clarify what we mean by those terms. Research validity means that the research measures what it purports to measure and is accurate. Reliability means that the research is consistent and the results can be replicated by other researchers.

Sometimes even very high quality research that is highly criticized does not lead to changes in policy and practice. To make the change that it has the potential to make, research needs more funding and commitment from those sitting behind industries, companies and policy makers. Having said that, however, some research may simply improve our understanding of certain conditions at a basic level and that’s all you need to do.

Research critique is tricky, that’s for sure! Still, it’s important because it ensures best practices. And like so many other things in life, research criticism can be biased.

Because MQ understands the importance and complications of investigative criticism, we are certified to follow AMRC’s peer review principles. This is a sign of confidence that the money invested in us is going towards research at the highest level. It also means that the research we support has the best chance of having a positive impact.

Researchers regularly examine their own research and that of others to build on the work of others, develop the progression of our knowledge, and critically analyze research findings. The investigation may be based on other investigation. The research continues to evolve.

3) Research goes beyond science

Research is the search for knowledge. The best way to learn is to learn from each other by working together. This accelerates the impact in the real world.

Research transcends scientific boundaries and is best done collaboratively. Different scientific fields can contribute to mental health research and anyone with lived experience can also participate in the studies (see points 4 and 5 below).

Knowledge is the meeting point for all research disciplines and the more we break the boundaries between disciplines, the more we can learn from each other, therefore the more likely we are to create new knowledge and accelerate real-world impact.

Research needs networks to function. In fact, MQ is constantly looking for ways to engage a wide range of people from all parts of the mental health ecosystem. That means we aim to include people with lived experience, patrons, charities, healthcare providers and of course researchers from a variety of backgrounds.

Researchers are willing to work with people who don’t work in science, but in other fields to help collect new data for future research. Aimed at scientists and researchers, MQ Mental Health Research and Wellcome Trust transdisciplinary grants help support research outside of psychiatry, psychology and neuroscience.

The grant aims to help apply new ideas from alternative fields to mental health science. This could well be the arts, economics, humanities, engineering, or any other discipline. If you have an ambitious concept that could make a difference to mental health science, but no background in mental health science, this might be for you.

4) Research is nothing without the public

Research, particularly in mental health, cannot exist without the contribution of non-researchers. People with lived experiences of mental health conditions and those who have cared for them are vital in the process. It is the ‘nothing about me without me’ approach that defines ‘co-production’, which you can read more about in this article.

When it comes to mental health research in particular, it is vital to involve patients and the public. For maximum potential for impact, research heavily incorporates the knowledge and experience of those who have lived with mental illness. This is called Patient and Public Participation and Engagement (PPIE). PPIE has seen development in recent years. TO report and statement at PPIE last year showed how research charities, like MQ, engage the voices of those with lived experience.

Including the voices of people with lived experiences of mental illness in mental illness research helps set research priorities, as well as make the research itself more impactful.

And therefore…

5) Researchers need your help

Researchers cannot conduct research without participants in their studies. That’s why MQ has our Get Involved scheme. With constantly updated calls for studies, often involving simple online surveys that can be rewarded with gift vouchers, the Participate platform helps you connect with studies seeking participants who will help shape the future of research. Have a look in the current list of studies seeking participants right now.

6) Diversity of data needs

The researchers are actively seeking people to participate in the research who are diverse in their experience.

A report in 2021 called Fit for purpose? Addressing inequities in mental health research exacerbated by Covid-19 found that mental health research can do more to address deep-seated inequalities in the causes of poor mental health. This is only possible if research is to be opened up to new ways of working, different types of evidence, and a more diverse range of people who become study participants, both as researchers and participants to engage in research.

As one of MQ’s ambassadors, Gemma Styles, says:

“Everyone is very different; we are all individual people, but there are also great inequalities. It took me until I was 30 years old to be diagnosed with ADHD because the criteria we have focus on young children in general. The further you get from being a white man, the less the data we have is of use to you.”

7) Research is always ongoing

No matter how far we go in the investigation, there is always a new horizon ready to be explored. Most research papers openly state that more research is needed to answer the questions raised by the findings of that particular research paper. This may seem frustrating at first: how can we rest if the conclusions only lead to more questions? But it is also a process at the heart not only of research but of progress and of humanity in general. Ultimately, this endless and limitless potential makes the research exciting and very much worth appreciating.

8) Research is underfunded

Research is vital, and yet it is vastly underfunded. When it comes to mental health, many people can tell personal stories about their real experiences. Theories can be derived from those important stories. But until the investigation results in data that has been collected, questioned, and examined, no conclusions can be drawn.

Without the process for reaching conclusions, new prevention measures cannot be identified, diagnostic criteria cannot be improved or implemented, treatment cannot be developed and refined, government policies cannot be lobbied, reported, or enforced. This is why MQ exists and why we need your support.

Without research, it’s just conjecture.

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