Research is embedded in the model for mental health and development and occurs throughout a programme’s implementation. Everyone (the people with mental illness, the field staff and the managers) participates in research throughout the programme. Research studies are done both at individual programmes / countries on specific issues or at a larger (international) level based on certain common emerging issues/ themes. The purpose of research in BasicNeeds is to produce evidence and use it to influence and bring about change in policy, as evidence for a programmes efficacy, and to build a knowledge base.