Fostering collaboration between researchers and clinicians through building practice-oriented research: an introduction.

This paper is an introduction to a special series that attempts to foster collaboration between clinicians and researchers by presenting the experiences of 11 groups of contributors who have conducted practice-oriented research (POR) in various countries and naturalistic settings. Each of these groups was asked to describe the context in which their collaborative initiatives took place, as well as some of the studies conducted, obstacles faced, strategies employed to address these challenges, and benefits earned. Authors were also invited to provide general recommendations to facilitate future POR. In order to integrate the lessons learned so far, as well as to consolidate suggestions for future collaboration of clinicians, researchers, and other stakeholders in the field of mental health, the series ends with a conclusion paper that identifies convergences and particular characteristics that cut across the partnerships featured.