Commentary: Establishing Scientific Rigor and Excellence in Implementation Science Training to Improve the Deployment of Evidence-Based Mental Health Services.

Abstract

Real-world challenges continue to impede the dissemination, implementation and sustainment of high-quality, evidence-based practices, resulting in too many individuals not receiving the effective mental health care that they urgently need. The field of implementation science is poised to generate new solutions to address this important public health problem. Training a new generation of researchers in implementation science is one solution. The Implementation Research Institute (IRI) offers one approach to such training. The papers in this series, authored by some of the IRI graduates, illustrate the depth and breadth of the intellectual scope of IRI graduates' contributions to the implementation science field, chronicles important lessons learned, and underscores the IRI's training capacity. This commentary reflects upon the series in terms of a framework and themes that relate to core implementation science principles and to future research that corresponds to the National Institute of Mental Health research priorities and strategic plan.