Toward greater public health relevance for psychotherapeutic intervention research: An NIMH workshop report

A multidisciplinary group of experts was convened by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to discuss new opportunities in psychotherapy rese arch. Participants agreed that more research is needed to assess stakeholde rs' needs, to better understand techniques commonly used in clinical practi ce, and to test efficacious treatments in community settings. These steps w ill require increased collaboration across different disciplines, developme nt of new research methods, and a willingness for investigators to ask nove l research questions. Participants outlined obstacles to conducting public health-oriented research such as the current dearth of supportive infrastru cture (e.g., lack of training opportunities for new investigators), concern s about how applications for conducting new or hybrid methodologies will fa re when evaluated by NIMH initial review groups, and the obvious difference s in terminology used by relevant stakeholders.