Toward a Demand-Driven, Collaborative Data Agenda for Adolescent Mental Health

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Mental Health Research
• Public Health Policy
• Data Science

Background:

• Current adolescent mental health research datasets often fail to meet the practical needs of stakeholders.
• Vulnerable adolescent populations are particularly underserved by existing research data.
• A gap exists between research generation and the data requirements of practitioners, policymakers, and program implementers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a collaborative, demand-driven methodology for developing a strategic adolescent mental health research agenda.
• To guide future data sharing and collection efforts to address critical stakeholder needs.
• To improve the relevance and utility of adolescent mental health research.

Main Methods:

• A rapid literature search was performed to create a "topic map" of adolescent mental health research themes.
• Two virtual workshops were conducted with international experts to discuss the topic map.
• Experts identified shared priorities for future collaboration and research.

Main Results:

• The topic map identified 10 major themes in adolescent mental health, categorized by system, community, and individual levels.
• Cross-sectoral expert engagement validated the topic map and provided critical insights.
• A collaborative list of priorities for future adolescent mental health research was generated.

Conclusions:

• The agile methodology facilitates focused deliberation among diverse stakeholders.
• This approach can serve as a foundation for data generation and collaborative practices in adolescent mental health.
• The methodology is adaptable for other research fields facing similar data challenges.