scholarly journals Mental health research capacity building in sub-Saharan Africa: the African Mental Health Research Initiative

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dixon Chibanda ◽  
Melanie Abas ◽  
Rosemary Musesengwa ◽  
Chris Merritt ◽  
Katherine Sorsdahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Research Initiative ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders are a leading, but neglected, cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. The treatment gap for MNS is vast with only 10% of people with MNS disorders in low-income countries accessing evidence-based treatments. Reasons for this include low awareness of the burden of MNS disorders and limited evidence to support development, adaptation and implementation of effective and feasible treatments. The overall goal of the African Mental Health Research Initiative (AMARI) is to build an African-led network of MNS researchers in Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe, who are equipped to lead high quality mental health research programs that meet the needs of their countries, and to establish a sustainable career pipeline for these researchers with an emphasis on integrating MNS research into existing programs such as HIV/AIDS. This paper describes the process leading to the development of AMARI's objectives through a theory of change workshop, successes and challenges that have been faced by the consortium in the last 4 years, and the future role that AMARI could play in further building MNS research capacity by brining on board more institutions from low- and middle-income countries with an emphasis on developing an evidence-based training curriculum and a research-driven care service.

scholarly journals Developing mental health research in sub-Saharan Africa: capacity building in the AFFIRM project

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Schneider ◽  
K. Sorsdahl ◽  
R. Mayston ◽  
J. Ahrens ◽  
D. Chibanda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Building Activities ◽  
Building Program ◽  
Short Courses

BackgroundThere remains a large disparity in the quantity, quality and impact of mental health research carried out in sub-Saharan Africa, relative to both the burden and the amount of research carried out in other regions. We lack evidence on the capacity-building activities that are effective in achieving desired aims and appropriate methodologies for evaluating success.MethodsAFFIRM was an NIMH-funded hub project including a capacity-building program with three components open to participants across six countries: (a) fellowships for an M.Phil. program; (b) funding for Ph.D. students conducting research nested within AFFIRM trials; (c) short courses in specialist research skills. We present findings on progression and outputs from the M.Phil. and Ph.D. programs, self-perceived impact of short courses, qualitative data on student experience, and reflections on experiences and lessons learnt from AFFIRM consortium members.ResultsAFFIRM delivered funded research training opportunities to 25 mental health professionals, 90 researchers and five Ph.D. students across 6 countries over a period of 5 years. A number of challenges were identified and suggestions for improving the capacity-building activities explored.ConclusionsHaving protected time for research is a barrier to carrying out research activities for busy clinicians. Funders could support sustainability of capacity-building initiatives through funds for travel and study leave. Adoption of a train-the-trainers model for specialist skills training and strategies for improving the rigor of evaluation of capacity-building activities should be considered.

scholarly journals The Africa Ethics Working Group (AEWG): a model of collaboration for psychiatric genomic research in Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 190
Author(s):  
Dorcas Kamuya ◽  
Mary A. Bitta ◽  
Adamu Addissie ◽  
Violet Naanyu ◽  
Andrea Palk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Working Group ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Global South ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Genomic Research ◽  
Sub Saharan

The Africa Ethics Working Group (AEWG) is a South-South-North collaboration of bioethics and mental health researchers from sub-Saharan Africa, working to tackle emerging ethical challenges in global mental health research. Initially formed to provide ethical guidance for a neuro-psychiatric genomics research project, AEWG has evolved to address cross cutting ethical issues in mental health research aimed at addressing equity in North-South collaborations. Global South refers to economically developing countries (sub-Saharan Africa in this context) and Global North to economically developed countries (primarily Europe, UK and North America). In this letter we discuss lessons that as a group we have learnt over the last three years; lessons that similar collaborations could draw on. With increasing expertise from Global South as an outcome of several capacity strengthening initiatives, it is expected that the nature of scientific collaborations will shift to a truly equitable partnership. The AEWG provides a model to rethink contributions that each partner could make in these collaborations.

scholarly journals Mental health research in Botswana: a semi-systematic scoping review

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 030006052096645
Author(s):  
Philip R. Opondo ◽  
Anthony A. Olashore ◽  
Keneilwe Molebatsi ◽  
Caleb J. Othieno ◽  
James O. Ayugi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Full Text ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Usa

Mental and substance use disorders are a leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite this, there is a paucity of mental health research in low- and middle-income countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We carried out a semi-systematic scoping review to determine the extent of mental health research in Botswana. Using a predetermined search strategy, we searched the databases Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCOhost (Academic Search Complete, CINAHL with Full Text, MEDLINE, MEDLINE with Full Text, MLA International Bibliography, Open Dissertations) for articles written in English from inception to June 2020. We identified 58 studies for inclusion. The most researched subject was mental health aspects of HIV/AIDS, followed by research on neurotic and stress-related disorders. Most studies were cross-sectional and the earliest published study was from 1983. The majority of the studies were carried out by researchers affiliated to the University of Botswana, followed by academic institutions in the USA. There seems to be limited mental health research in Botswana, and there is a need to increase research capacity.

HIV/AIDS and mental health research in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Breuer ◽  
Landon Myer ◽  
Helen Struthers ◽  
John A Joska
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Hiv Aids

scholarly journals A Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) Primer for Mental Health Researchers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher C Conway ◽  
Miriam K. Forbes ◽  
Susan Carol South
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Psychological Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Research Paradigm ◽  
Research Programs ◽  
Advance Research ◽  
Research Questions

Mental health research is at an important crossroads as the field seeks more reliable and valid phenotypes to study. Dimensional approaches to quantifying mental illness operate outside the confines of traditional categorical diagnoses, and they are gaining traction as a way to advance research on the causes and consequences of mental illness. The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) is a leading dimensional research paradigm that synthesizes decades of investigation into evidence-based dimensions of psychological disorders. This article aims to make the application of dimensional approaches in mental health research more accessible through tutorials that demonstrate how to use the HiTOP model to formulate and test research questions. Data and annotated code (written for R and Mplus software programs) for each example are included (https://osf.io/8myzw). We outline how investigators can use these ideas and tools to generate new insights in their own substantive research programs.

scholarly journals Advancing collaborations in health research and clinical trials in Sub-Saharan Africa: development and implementation of a biostatistical collaboration module in the Masters in Biostatistics Program at Stellenbosch University

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tonya M. Esterhuizen ◽  
Guowei Li ◽  
Taryn Young ◽  
Jie Zeng ◽  
Rhoderick Machekano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
National Institutes Of Health ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Fogarty International Center ◽  
Program Grant

Abstract Background Sub-Saharan Africa continues to carry a high burden of communicable diseases such as TB and HIV and non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions. Although investment in research has led to advances in improvements in outcomes, a lot still remains to be done to build research capacity in health. Like many other regions in the world, Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from a critical shortage of biostatisticians and clinical trial methodologists. Methods Funded through a Fogarty Global Health Training Program grant, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University in South Africa established a new Masters Program in Biostatistics which was launched in January 2017. In this paper, we describe the development of a biostatistical and clinical trials collaboration Module, adapted from a similar course offered in the Health Research Methodology program at McMaster University. Discussion Guided by three core principles (experiential learning; multi-/inter-disciplinary approach; and formal mentorship), the Module aims to advance biostatistical collaboration skills of the trainees by facilitating learning in how to systematically apply fundamental statistical and trial methodological knowledge in practice while strengthening some soft skills which are necessary for effective collaborations with other healthcare researchers to solve health problems. We also share some preliminary findings from the first four cohorts that took the Module in January–November 2018 to 2021. We expect that this Module can provide an example of how to improve biostatistical and clinical trial collaborations and accelerate research capacity building in low-resource settings. Funding source Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health.

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