The Ostrobothnia Project: a controlled effectiveness study

One of the main themes of national research is expressed in the Ostrobothnia -project, a development project for mental health and addiction care which started in 2005. The Ostrobothnia research project is a controlled evaluation study of the effectiveness of the new regional mental health, drug & alcohol policy and services. Researchers from the project area: Vaasa, South-Ostrobothnia and Central-Ostrobothnia Hospital Districts with THL will take part in this national large-scale research project. The research project aims at evaluating the effectiveness of the new regional mental health services in a controlled study design. The need for a thorough scientific evaluation of the Finnish mental health service system has been repeatedly stressed. The aim is that the national and international mental health service structures and strategy plans are based on valid scientifically examined research results to achieve a client-orientated and better functioning mental health care.

Outcome data for the Ostrobothnia -projects controlled effectiveness study will be collected from the population mental health surveys, that were performed in 2005 and in 2008. The postal survey will be repeated four times in the project area during 2008 - 2020. The survey aims to collect baseline information about the mental health of the Ostrobothnian population as well as to define their conceptions about mental health. Similar postal survey will also be performed in the South-West Finland Hospital District to create a reliable comparison for the new mental health policy and service evaluation.

International research network

The Vaasa Excellence Centre for Mental Health is also participating in the INDIGO study which is lead by Professor Graham Thornicroft from the Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. INDIGO is a European study on stigma as perceived by people with schizophrenia. The Finnish field study is being performed by the Vaasa Excellence Centre for Mental Health.

The DataPrev Project, financed by the Sixth Research Framework of the European Commission, aims to collect and appraise data on programmes for promotion and prevention in mental health. The Vaasa Excellence Centre for Mental Health will be responsible for collecting data on programmes for the prevention of mental disorders in older people.

More information about DataPrev-project

Education

Vaasa Excellence Centre for Mental Health organizes periods of basic psychiatric education in Vaasa Central Hospital. The basic psychiatric education is aimed at Bachelor of Medicine students and it consists of a one week practical period in a psychiatric unit. These one week periods are organized four times a year.

The written education agreement with The University of Helsinki enables physicians to specialise in psychiatry entirely in the Vaasa Central Hospital. Specialisation in psychiatry is arranged and supervised by a Professor from the Vaasa Excellence Centre for Mental Health.

What's new

Population mental health survey 2011