Psychiatric research: the role of the state.

Psychiatric research is as exciting as any field in health science today. But it will require support from a variety of sources if it is to achieve its potential. Two main points bear emphasizing in any overview of current mental health research. First, of course, is the vitality and significance of the work itself, and second is the multifaceted issue of support. This presentation will review briefly the various component parts on which this country's mental health research establishment is based: funding from the federal government; the crucial role of the individual state; and contributions of various other sections of our society to the overall research effort. This overview will also consider some of the secondary results of research support within the state.