Collaborating with developing countries in psychiatric research.

have drawn attention to the huge burden have drawn attention to the huge burden of illness and severe disability that of illness and severe disability that accompanies mental illness in people living accompanies mental illness in people living in low-income countries – the majority of in low-income countries – the majority of the world's population. the world's population. The challenges of conducting psychiatric The challenges of conducting psychiatric research in the developing world are research in the developing world are outlined by Alem & Kebede (2003, this outlined by Alem & Kebede (2003, this issue). Low-income countries lack the issue). Low-income countries lack the specialists and health care workers with specialists and health care workers with the knowledge to manage and conduct the knowledge to manage and conduct research into mental disorders. There is no research into mental disorders. There is no reservoir of epidemiologists, research psy-reservoir of epidemiologists, research psychologists or social anthropologists with chologists or social anthropologists with psychiatric expertise, and no facilities, staff psychiatric expertise, and no facilities, staff or funding for their training to post-or funding for their training to postgraduate level. The epidemiological exper-graduate level. The epidemiological expertise available tends to be taken up with tise available tends to be taken up with the study of infectious diseases. Interna-the study of infectious diseases. International tional recruitment of health personnel recruitment of health personnel (including academics) from low-income (including academics) from low-income countries causes the problem of 'brain countries causes the problem of 'brain drain', with many more indigenous psy-drain', with many more indigenous psychiatrists practising in Western countries chiatrists practising in Western countries than in their countries of origin. In Ghana, than in their countries of origin. In Ghana, for example, there are 13 psychiatrists for a for example, there are 13 psychiatrists for a population of 18 million. However, there population of 18 million. However, there are 16 Ghanaian psychiatrists in the USA, are 16 Ghanaian psychiatrists in the USA, at least 11 in Canada, 2 in Australia and at least 11 in Canada, 2 in Australia and 4 in the UK. The situation regarding 4 in the UK. The situation regarding trainees is the same, with at least 21 trainees is the same, with at least 21 Ghanaian postgraduate trainees in psy-Ghanaian postgraduate trainees in psychiatry in the UK (details available from chiatry in the UK (details available from the authors upon request). …