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Purpose: Rural communities face specific challenges when attempting to implement evidence-based interventions, due to their size, distance from knowledge centers, and broad responsibility for the local population. The aim of this study was to investigate the utilization of an RPC (Research Practice Collaboration) initiative as a strategy for translation and implementation of EBPs in rural municipalities seeking to develop their services for individuals with serious mental illness.

Materials and Methods: Following a broad invitation consisting of a presentation of the newly produced National Psychiatry Guidelines, to four northern regions in Sweden, four municipalities participated in an RPC process that focused on the implementation of specific EBPs.

Results: In addition to confirming many of the challenges in rural areas, the participants reported that the RPC process helped them to understand the relevance of these methods to their own conditions and ambitions. They were able to recognize and build on their already existing strengths and achieve incremental steps toward EBPs.

Discussion: The collaborative nature of the structure and knowledge dissemination, requiring extremely tailored implementation strategies while considering the essential components in relation to local conditions, led to increased readiness to implement these practices as locally relevant.

Conclusion: Research practice collaborations may contribute to the implementation of EBPs in rural areas by increasing the accessibility and relevance of these methods in these challenging conditions. Identifying structures for sustainably supporting these types of collaborations is a challenge for national actors.

Background: Rural communities face specific challenges when implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) due to their size, remoteness from knowledge centers, and broad responsibility for the local population. Studies indicate that these challenges can negatively impact the development of best practice for individuals with serious mental illnesses.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the utilization of an RPC (Research Practice Collaboration) initiative as a strategy for translation and implementation of psychiatric rehabilitation methods in rural municipalities.

Method:  With the starting point in form of a seminar where the updated National Psychiatry Guidelines were presented, four rural municipalities from the north of Sweden engaged in an RPC process, focusing on implementing specific recovery-oriented EBPs, including Individual Placement and Support and Shared Decision-Making.

Results: In addition to confirming challenges in rural areas, the RPC process helped the participants to understand the relevance of these practices to their own conditions and ambitions for individuals experiencing mental health problems. The municipalities were able to build on their already existing strengths and achieve incremental steps towards providing improved services.

Conclusions: The collaborative nature of the RPC structure, requiring locally relevant, tailored implementation strategies, while considering essential method components in relation to local conditions, led to increased readiness to implement these practices. Research practice collaborations may contribute to the implementation of methods based on best practice in rural areas by increasing their accessibility and relevance in these challenging conditions.

Presentation av ett projekt som har undersökt erfarenheter av att införa vetenskapligt förankrade arbetsmetoder på området psykisk ohälsa i svensk glesbygd. Bland annat har en kartläggning av 10 glesbygdskommuner genomförts, samt ett utvecklingsarbete där forskare och praktik tillsammans har utformat strategier för att stärka det lokala implementeringsarbetet. Med Magnus Bergmark, socionom och fil.dr. i socialt arbete. Tillsammans med två representanter från Åre kommun, Marie Vackermo, projektledare och Andreas Backlund, arbetsmarknadskoordinator.

PURPOSE: To examine how rural municipalities develop services to people with serious mental illness in relation to evidence-based practice and national guidelines. Additional sources of knowledge and strategies used by the municipalities in relation to their development needs were explored as well.

METHOD: Qualitative multiple-case approach, with 43 deep-interviews involving 84 informants representing selected social psychiatric services from 11 sites.

RESULTS: National guidelines and evidence-based practices have a limited impact on how rural municipalities develop services to the target group. The municipalities favor other sources of knowledge, including regional networks, pragmatic problem-solving approaches and community-based knowledge.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:  Most of the informants expressed a need for more systematic and evidence-based knowledge in order to meet their clients’ needs. A major challenge to improve the utilization of these methods, is to make adaptions to match the rural municipalities’ needs and actual resources without risking the quality of these evidence-based services.