To guide the process of knowledge creation and dissemination among the different actors with the global mental health sphere over the coming years, and based on extensive prior consultation, this document sets out a Knowledge Exchange strategy for MHIN’s activities and stakeholders. It is designed to guide MHIN’s role as a knowledge broker, bringing the GMH community closer to its goals, targeting barriers to effective communication, and improving the uptake of knowledge in policy and practice.
Underpinned by a number of guiding principles – including being neutral, evidence-based and owned by its members – the overall vision is that through effective knowledge exchange mechanisms, the MHIN community is fully enabled to support implementation and scale up of evidence-based innovations in mental health. Three strategic goals of the strategy, each relating to a particular target group, are:
• To provide generators of knowledge with the tools, capacity and mechanisms to communicate impact effectively to intermediary and final users of that knowledge (including persons with mental disorders or their representatives, media and advocacy groups, and decision-makers);
• To create and enhance knowledge exchange opportunities for enablers or intermediaries – persons with mental disorders or their representatives, media and advocacy groups, and other networks – to become involved in the generation and use of evidence for mental health policy and practice;
• To enable decision makers to access and use evidence, by packaging information effectively, so they are equipped to make appropriate decisions that lead to improved mental health services.
Key mechanisms and approaches for attaining these goals have been articulated as part of this KE Strategy document, and grouped into the following areas of activity: website and social media; addressing the KE needs of specific groups and regions; face to face interactions; elaboration and collation of appropriate KE tools and KE skills development. Certain activities will be led by the core MHIN team, including development of the website and the regional hubs, as well as adaptation of tools to specific groups’ needs. Other activities will be led by the wider MHIN community, including promotion of member-led content, and networking between community members. A wide range of defined tools or instruments are available to facilitate these activities, from a repository of mental health innovations and policy briefs to blogs, webinars, workshops and online forums.
