All MHFA Guidelines are produced following a systematic way of reaching consensus in a panel of experts. Use of expert consensus is a practical alternative to randomised controlled trials, which are often not feasible or ethical for evaluating specific first aid strategies. The end result is the development of guidelines that comprise first aid actions rated as important or essential by expert panels of professionals, consumers and carers.
- Jorm AF. Using the Delphi expert consensus method in mental health research. Australian New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 2015 October 49: 887-897. Full text.
This article gives an introductory overview of the use of the Delphi expert consensus method in mental health research. It explains the rationale for using the method, examines the range of uses to which it has been put in mental health research, and describes the stages of carrying out a Delphi study using examples from the literature.