Table 1 Findings and recommendations to facilitate policy maker engagement in GMH research [11]

The importance of understanding context

Invest in high quality formative research

Explore crises as a catalyst for positive change

The nature of engagement

Invest adequate time and funding to support engagement and trust-building

Create opportunities for meaningful and active engagement by end users, providers and policy makers

Leverage existing resources and relationships

Communication and dissemination

Invest in informed mental health awareness raising and communication strategies

Create mechanisms to support engagement from program inception

Invest in capacity development opportunities to support knowledge translation and communications activities by researchers

Invest in activities that promote mental health capacity building of policy makers