To develop research proposals that are consistent with the language and mindset for mental health research in the Philippines based on the Mental Health Law, the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and the Mental Health Research Advisory Group (MHRAG) introduced today the Quality Mental Health Research in the Philippines: Conceptualization, Design, and Methods manual.

Developed based on the discussions from the PCHRD-hosted writeshop entitled, “Capacity Building in Technical Writing for Mental Health Research Proposal Development” last 24 November 2020 and 5 December 2020, the working manual serves as a compilation of the essential discussions exchanged between the lecturers and participants during the  writeshop.

“The purpose of this document is twofold: first, to serve as a working manual to guide mental health researchers in the submission of their proposals to PCHRD and other research organizations and second, to record the rich discourse on mental health concepts and research framework generated from the writeshop,” said Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, PCHRD Executive Director.

The 102-page manual is also supplemented with slide presentations used during the writeshop which are made publicly accessible online. Worksheet activities are also included at the end of each chapter to guide the researchers in developing research proposals.

“It is recognized that the production of this manual is an initial venture in writing manuals on mental health research in the Philippines. Hence, it is considered as a “work in progress” in developing quality mental health research in our country,” said Dr. Lourdes Ladrido-Ignacio, chair of MHRAG.

The manual is free and is accessible through this link.