CO-PRIME is a national research network designed to strengthen Ireland’s capacity to translate mental health research into policy and practice through co-production and cross-sector collaboration. The programme aligns closely with Sharing the Vision and Sláintecare’s commitment to integrated, person-centred and evidence-informed mental health services.
As Work Package Co-Lead for Knowledge Translation and Mobilisation, this project focuses on developing system-level mechanisms that support the routine uptake of research evidence into mental health policy, service planning and implementation, with particular attention to governance, workforce engagement and lived experience involvement.
PI: Professor Sinead McGilloway (Maynooth University), Professor Brian McGuire (University College Dublin) and Dr Eve Griffin (National Suicide Research Foundation)
Work Package Co Lead: Professor Catherine Darker (Knowledge Translation and Mobilisation) with Dr Karen Matvienko-Sikar (University College Cork)
Collaborators: Dr Maria O’Malley (University College Cork), Professor Frances Shiely (University College Cork) and Aileen O’Reilly (Alone)
Funding: Health Research Board, Applied Programme grant
Objective:
To strengthen national capacity for translating mental health research into policy and practice, supporting implementation of Sharing the Vision across health and community services.
Key components:
- Co-produced knowledge translation strategies involving policymakers, service providers and people with lived experience
- Development of practical tools and processes to support evidence-informed decision-making
- Cross-sector learning and capacity building in implementation and policy engagement
Impact:
Enhanced alignment between mental health research, national policy priorities and service delivery, supporting more consistent, equitable and sustainable implementation of Sharing the Vision.
VISTA is a large, multi-partner research programme supporting the delivery of Sharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy. Led by a collaborative team of clinicians, researchers, and public and patient partners, the programme examines how evidence-based mental health innovations are implemented, adapted and sustained across diverse service contexts, with the goal of generating actionable evidence to inform service redesign, commissioning and policy oversight.
The research programme comprises six work packages that address key issues such as digital mental health innovations, health care transformation and mental health promotion, each underpinned by implementation science and co-production with service users and stakeholders. The work also contributes directly to Sláintecare goals around integrated care, equity and system transformation, with a strong emphasis on lived experience engagement and organisational readiness for change. Ultimately, VISTA seeks to bridge the gap between evidence and practice to enhance mental health systems and support recovery across diverse settings in Ireland.
Study website: https://vista-apro.eu/
PI: Professor David Cotter (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)
WP Lead: Professor Catherine Darker (Trinity College Dublin)
Collaborators: Dr Karen O’Connor (University College Cork; Health Service Executive), Dr John Paul Lyne (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; Health Service Executive), Dr Allyson Gallant (Trinity College Dublin)
PPI: Ms Michelle Doody (Mental Health Ireland)
Funding: Health Research Board Applied Programme (APRO) Grant 2023
Objective: To identify implementation determinants regarding physical and sexual health among young people with mental illness, and co-produce an implementation blueprint to operationalise the policy to practice gap.
Key components:
- Designing and rigorously evaluating innovative mental health innovations, with a focus on young people.
- Examining service, organisational and workforce dynamics that shape effective policy implementation
- Active collaboration with service providers, decision-makers and people with lived experience
Impact:
VISTA will generate actionable evidence to support the implementation, scalability, and long-term sustainability of mental health services aligned with Sharing the Vision and Sláintecare principles. The programme seeks to effectively translate mental health policy into practice, thereby strengthening health service delivery and health system transformation, to ensure Ireland’s mental health reform is informed by local evidence, lived experience, and real-world implementation insights.