Key Initiatives
Through a number of partnerships, several key initiatives have been put in place to build capacity for applied, practice-driven mental health and addiction research across Alberta.
Alberta Centennial Addiction and Mental Health Research Chairs
The Alberta Centennial Addiction and Mental Health Research Chair Program aims to increase the generation of world-class mental health research in Alberta and enhance knowledge exchange between research and practice. Recruitment for the chairs has been in collaboration with the Ministries of Advanced Education and Technology and Health and Wellness, along with Alberta Health Services, the Universities of Alberta, Calgary and Lethbridge, and a private foundation.
Chair candidates are leading health services and/or population health researchers with expertise in one of the priority areas: child and adolescent mental health, mental illness and addictions, and workplace mental health.
Mental Health Economics
The Mental Health Economic Statistics: In Your Pocket booklet, a first of its kind publication, provides information about the economic burden of mental illness in Canada.
The innovative publication, presented in easy-to-reference, clear and concise pocketbook style, emphasizes three central themes:
- the burden of mental illness and how Canada compares to other countries on some indicators
- resources that are currently being used to address this burden; and
- the performance of Canada's mental health system in the allocation of these resources
The booklet shows what is taking place on a provincial, national and international level. It will enable policy makers and planners to gain a broad economic perspective on the current mental health system, reduce the social and economic burden of mental illness, and to improve the overall mental health system by providing accurate, timely information.
For more information or copies of the pocketbook, call the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) at 780-448-4881.
The Alberta Research and Innovation Centre in Addiction and Mental Health
The Alberta Research and Innovation Centre (ARIC) will function as a web-based resource, coordinating efforts and communications among a network of stakeholders dedicated to the advancement of mental health and addiction knowledge and services.
Enhancing knowledge exchange and providing opportunities for researchers and service providers to work together on projects will be a strong focus of the centre. Encouraging collaboration will expedite the application of research findings into practice and policy and achieve better mental health outcomes for our communities.
The centre will continually evolve to serve the information needs of researchers, practitioners, policy makers and consumers.
