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Issued by

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Purpose

In accordance with our mission, the Center for Global Mental Health Research (CGMHR) at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is issuing this notice to inform the extramural research community that the CGMHR will prioritize applications with foreign components where research will take place in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This prioritization will apply to investigator-initiated research applications.

Background

According to the 2020 World Health Organization Mental Health Atlas, LMICs have lower absolute and relative investments in mental health as a proportion of their Gross Domestic Product compared to high-income countries (HICs). Moreover, LMICs have significantly lower levels of investment in research in mental health, and in some cases, research is close to absent. Data suggests that these lower investment levels can be associated with worse levels of availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of mental health interventions and services. LMICs are countries of per capita income as defined using the World Bank country classification system (according to Gross National Income per capita as low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income ). This World Bank classification also includes HICs in a fourth category.

Despite higher funding levels, HICs also face significant mental health challenges that impact their ability to meet their population’s mental healthcare needs. One of these challenges is an uneven distribution of health resources and capacities that foster low-income settings within otherwise healthy nations. The mental health financing and service delivery challenges observed in these low-income settings within HICs can be like those in LMICs.

Well-designed research on mental health in LMICs can inform decisions related to achieving the Sustainable Development and Universal Health Coverage goals. Research can also inform decisions about improving the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of mental health interventions and services to populations in need. Moreover, NIMH has observed the potential of innovative research in LMICs to inform and address challenges observed in low-income settings in HICs, including the USA.

Applicants considering the inclusion of a foreign component in the research design are strongly encouraged to consult with CGMHR Program Officials prior to submission.

This notice applies to applications submitted on or after January 1, 2023.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Leonardo Cubillos, MD, MPH
Director - Center for Global Mental Health Research
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Email: [email protected]