Mental Health and Psychiatry

Mental Health and Psychiatry

Created in 2016, the Mental Health and Psychiatry Teaching and Research Laboratory (MHP LAB) seeks solutions to problems faced by psychiatrically vulnerable populations.

The MHP LAB does so notably by:

  • developing effective interventions;
  • actively participating in the development of professional competencies and tools to facilitate clinical work;
  • implementing programmes that promote access to and continuity of care.

Profile

The MHP LAB is closely tied to the Social Psychiatry Section of the Community Psychiatry Division of the Psychiatry Department of the Canton of Vaud University Hospital (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois or CHUV). Pascale Ferrari holds a joint position between the two entities. The purpose of anchoring the LAB in the clinical world is to create a dynamic connection between clinical practice, research and teaching. This integration makes it possible also to quickly identify emerging issues that can be subjected to research or that might undergo developments.

Community psychiatry is for people with severe mental disorders who respond only in part to medical treatment.

These people often have complex healthcare problems that necessitate high-level nursing skills. These problems are often intertwined with social and economic difficulties necessitating a close interdisciplinary collaboration.

Strategies

  • Embed research in a recovery model.
  • Develop strong and innovative next-generation nurses in the field of psychiatric nursing care.
  • Subject research results to peer review by submitting them for publication in international journals.
  • Make results accessible to all professionals and the general public by publishing them in lay magazines.
  • Integrate results in teaching and continuing professional development. The team is engaged in an ongoing pedagogical reflection to facilitate the transmission of knowledge and professional competencies.
  • Collaborate closely with numerous stakeholders, including health and social service providers, institutions and regional associations.
  • At the international level, pursue our partnerships with teams from France, Germany, Kosovo, Portugal, and India.
  • Demonstrate over the longer term how developing competency in psychiatric care contributes to reduce health costs and how research on vulnerable populations contributes to develop the health of the community as a whole.
  • Recovery from a mental disorder means leading a rich and full life predicated on hope and self-determination. It is the result of a process based on the experience of numerous patients.

Team

Members of the MHP LAB:

Partners