Mental health research grapples with research waste and stunted field progression caused by inconsistent outcome measurement across studies and clinical settings, which means there is no common language for considering findings. Although recognising that no gold standard measures exist and that all existing measures are flawed in one way or another, anxiety and depression research is spearheading a common metrics movement to harmonise measurement, with several initiatives over the past 5 years recommending the consistent use of specific scales to allow read-across of measurements between studies. For this approach to flourish, however, common metrics must be acceptable and adaptable to a range of contexts and populations, and global access should be as easy and affordable as possible, including in low-income countries. Within a measurement landscape dominated by fixed proprietary measures and with competing views of what should be measured, achieving this goal poses a range of challenges. In this Personal View, we consider tensions between affordability, sustainability, consistency, and adaptability that, if not addressed, risk undermining the common metrics agenda. We outline a three-pronged way forward that involves funders taking more direct responsibility for measure development and dissemination; a move towards managing measure dissemination and adaptation via open-access measure hubs; and transitioning from fixed questionnaires to item banks. We argue that now is the time to start thinking of mental health metrics as 21st century tools to be co-owned and co-created by the mental health community, with support from dedicated infrastructure, coordinating bodies, and funders.

心理健康研究正在努力解决由于跨研究和临床环境的结果测量不一致而导致的研究浪费和阻碍领域进展，这意味着没有共同的语言来考虑研究结果。尽管认识到不存在黄金标准衡量标准，并且所有现有衡量标准都存在某种缺陷，但焦虑和抑郁研究正在带头开展一项共同的衡量标准运动以协调衡量标准，过去 5 年中的多项举措建议一致使用特定的衡量标准允许在研究之间读取测量值。然而，要使这种方法蓬勃发展，通用指标必须是可以接受的，并且可以适应各种环境和人群，而且全球访问应该尽可能容易和负担得起，包括在低收入国家。在由固定的专有度量主导的度量环境中，并且对于应该度量的内容存在相互竞争的观点，实现这一目标带来了一系列挑战。在这种个人观点中，我们考虑了可负担性、可持续性、一致性和适应性之间的紧张关系，如果不加以解决，就有可能破坏通用指标议程。我们概述了一个三管齐下的前进道路，让资助者对措施的制定和传播承担更直接的责任；朝着通过开放获取措施中心管理措施传播和适应的方向迈进；从固定问卷向题库过渡。我们认为现在是时候开始将心理健康指标视为 21 世纪的工具，由心理健康社区在专用基础设施的支持下共同拥有和共同创建，