Ten Priorities for Research Addressing the Intersections of Brain Injury, Mental Health and Addictions: A...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Acquired brain injury (ABI) significantly impacts mental health and addictions (MHA).
• There is a critical need for community-driven research priorities at the intersection of ABI and MHA.
• Existing research gaps hinder effective clinical services and support for individuals with ABI and MHA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engage key stakeholders in a health research priority-setting process.
• To identify and prioritize research questions addressing intersectional issues on MHA in ABI.
• To produce a community-driven list of research questions to inform future research agendas.

Main Methods:

• A multiphasic, co-designed health research priority-setting process was implemented.
• Community-based stakeholders, including individuals with lived experience, were actively involved.
• A 1-day workshop facilitated the prioritization of generated research questions.

Main Results:

• Fifty-nine stakeholders participated in the priority-setting workshop.
• A rank-ordered list of the top 10 research questions was generated.
• Identified questions addressed pressing issues like the opioid crisis and homelessness across various ABI subtypes and research domains.

Conclusions:

• This study successfully identified and prioritized critical research questions at the intersection of ABI and MHA.
• The community-driven list serves to guide researchers and funding agencies in addressing stakeholders' urgent needs.
• Implementing these research priorities has the potential to foster meaningful improvements in clinical services for individuals affected by ABI and MHA.