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Researching the Process of Implementing Mental Health Promotion: Case Studies on Interventions with Disadvantaged Young People

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Global Handbook of Health Promotion Research, Vol. 1

Abstract

This chapter examines implementation research in the field of mental health promotion and considers how a systematic study of implementation can strengthen not only the body of research knowledge but ultimately contribute to more effective practice and policy and sustainable population health and well-being. The importance of implementation research for understanding the relationship between the implementation process and intervention outcomes is considered, and the critical connections between the local context, intervention activities and the intended intermediate and long-term outcomes are outlined. An overview is provided of current implementation concepts, frameworks and empirical studies, and the factors that are critical to effective implementation are examined. Findings from two case studies evaluating the process of implementing universal mental health promotion interventions with disadvantaged young people are highlighted in this chapter. The critical role of implementation research in informing the effective adoption and scaling up of evidence-based interventions is discussed, and the need for innovative health promotion research approaches to develop an evidence-based approach to implementation practice is considered.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For further information, please see https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/Further-Education-and-Training/Youthreach/Youthreach.html

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Hardiman Research Scholarships, National University of Ireland Galway, provided for the SPARX-r research study and the Irish Research Council (IRC) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) Health Promotion and Improvement in Ireland for funding the research on the MindOut evaluation study. The views expressed in this chapter are those of the authors only.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Promotion Research, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland

    Margaret M. Barry, Tuuli Kuosmanen & Katherine Dowling

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  1. Margaret M. Barry
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  2. Tuuli Kuosmanen
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  3. Katherine Dowling
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Correspondence to Margaret M. Barry .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Louise Potvin

  2. UNESCO Chair and WHO Collaborating Centre in Global Health & Education, University of Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Didier Jourdan

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Barry, M.M., Kuosmanen, T., Dowling, K. (2022). Researching the Process of Implementing Mental Health Promotion: Case Studies on Interventions with Disadvantaged Young People. In: Potvin, L., Jourdan, D. (eds) Global Handbook of Health Promotion Research, Vol. 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97212-7_19

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