scholarly journals Lay-delivered talk therapies for adults affected by humanitarian crises in low- and middle-income countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace K. Ryan ◽  
Andreas Bauer ◽  
Tarik Endale ◽  
Onaiza Qureshi ◽  
Asmae Doukani ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 2015, the mental health Gap Action Programme Humanitarian Intervention Guide (mhGAP-HIG) recommends brief versions of structured psychological interventions for people experiencing symptoms of common mental disorders (CMDs). mhGAP-HIG acknowledges a growing body of evidence suggesting these interventions can be delivered by lay workers to people affected by humanitarian crises in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there has not yet been a systematic review and synthesis of this evidence. This paper reports the results of a systematic review of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies assessing the implementation and/or effectiveness of talk therapies for CMDs when provided by lay workers in LMICs to adults who have survived or are currently living in humanitarian situations. Methods Seven electronic databases were searched: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, PsycEXTRA, Global Health, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov. We also hand-searched the contents pages of three academic journals, reference lists of 30 systematic reviews, and online resource directories of two mental health networks. A preliminary list of included studies was circulated to topical experts for review, and all included studies were backward and forward searched. All titles, abstracts, and full-texts were independently double-screened. Quality appraisal and data extraction were carried out by a single reviewer and checked by a second reviewer, using standardised tools. Any disagreements were discussed and referred to a third reviewer as needed. Results We identified 23 unique studies and carried out a narrative synthesis of patient and implementation outcome data. Every evaluation of the effectiveness of lay-delivered talk therapies for adults affected by humanitarian crises in LMICs showed some treatment effect for at least one CMD, and often multiple CMDs. Implementation research generally found these interventions to be acceptable, appropriate and feasible to implement, with good fidelity to manualised therapies. Conclusion Although results are promising, particularly for individually-delivered talk therapies based on cognitive behavioural therapy techniques, there is a high degree of heterogeneity in this literature. We make several recommendations on how to improve the quality and generalisability of research on this topic, to facilitate further evidence synthesis. Trial registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017058287.

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e018193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Kathryn Ryan ◽  
Andreas Bauer ◽  
Judith K Bass ◽  
Julian Eaton

IntroductionThere is a severe shortage of specialist mental healthcare providers in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) affected by humanitarian crises. In these settings, talking therapies may be delivered by non-specialists, including lay workers with no tertiary education or formal certification in mental health. This systematic review will synthesise the literature on the implementation and effectiveness of talking therapies delivered by lay workers in LMICs affected by humanitarian crises, in order to develop a Theory of Change (ToC).Methods and analysisQualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies assessing the implementation or effectiveness of lay-delivered talking therapies for common mental disorders provided to adult survivors of humanitarian crises in LMICs will be eligible for inclusion. Studies set in high-income countries will be excluded. No restrictions will be applied to language or year of publication. Unpublished studies will be excluded. Seven electronic databases will be searched: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, PsycEXTRA, Global Health, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov. Contents pages of three peer-reviewed journals will be hand-searched. Sources of grey literature will include resource directories of two online mental health networks (MHPSS.net and MHInnovation.net) and expert consultation. Forward and backward citation searches of included studies will be performed. Two reviewers will independently screen studies for inclusion, extract data and assess study quality. A narrative synthesis will be conducted, following established guidelines. A ToC map will be amended iteratively to take into account the review results and guide the synthesis.Ethics and disseminationFindings will be presented in a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated through a coordinated communications strategy targeting knowledge generators, enablers and users.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42017058287.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moses Ocan ◽  
Brenda Allen Kawala ◽  
Ephraim Kisangala ◽  
Regina Ndagire ◽  
Rachel Nante Wangi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Globally, health care workers continue to be infected, fall ill and die at the frontline of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fight, an indicator of inadequate safety in health facilities. This rapid evidence synthesis aims to highlight the impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare workers in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) in terms of infections, illnesses and deaths. Methods: A systematic review will be done. Article search will be performed by an experienced librarian in PubMed, MEDLINE Ovid, Google Scholar, COVID-END, Cochrane library and targeted search from other relevant sources. MeSH terms and Boolean operators “AND” and “OR” will be used in the article search. Independent reviewers will screen the retrieved articles using a priori criteria. Data abstraction will be done using an excel based abstraction tool and synthesized using structured narratives and summary of findings tables. Discussion and anticipated use of results: This evidence synthesis seeks to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare systems of low- and middle-income countries. Information on healthcare worker infections, illness, and deaths due to COVID-19, will be collated from published research articles. This will help guide decision makers in establishing low- cost high impact interventions to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in the health work force.Protocol registration: PROSPERO CRD 42020204174


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moses Ocan ◽  
Brenda Allen Kawala ◽  
Ephraim Kisangala ◽  
Regina Ndagire ◽  
Rachel Nante Nante Wangi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Globally, health care workers continue to be infected, fall ill and die at the frontline of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) fight, an indicator of inadequate safety in health facilities. This rapid evidence synthesis aims to highlight the impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare workers in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) in terms of infections, illnesses and deaths. Methods: A systematic review will be done. Article search will be performed by an experienced librarian in PubMed, MEDLINE Ovid, Google Scholar, COVID-END, Cochrane library and targeted search from other relevant sources. MeSH terms and Boolean operators “AND” and “OR” will be used in the article search. Independent reviewers will screen the retrieved articles using a priori criteria. Data abstraction will be done using an excel based abstraction tool and synthesized using structured narratives and summary of findings tables. Discussion: This evidence synthesis seeks to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare systems of low- and middle-income countries. Information on healthcare worker infections, illness, and deaths due to COVID-19, will be collated from published research articles. This will help guide decision makers in establishing low- cost high impact interventions to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in the health work force.Protocol registration: PROSPERO CRD 42020204174 [1] [1] This protocol registration can be found at; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020204174


Author(s):  
Jordan Troup ◽  
Daniela C. Fuhr ◽  
Aniek Woodward ◽  
Egbert Sondorp ◽  
Bayard Roberts

Abstract Background Humanitarian crises increase the burden of mental disorders due to exposure to traumatic events and ongoing daily stressors. Effective mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions exist, but barriers and facilitators for scaling up those interventions are less understood. The study aim was to identify barriers and facilitators for scaling up MHPSS interventions for populations affected by humanitarian crises in low- and middle-income countries. Methods A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted. Types of scale up were summarised, and barriers and facilitators analysed using the World Health Organization’s Expandnet framework of scaling up. Evidence quality was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results Fourteen eligible studies were identified. Most described horizontal types of scale up, integrating services into primary and community care through staff training, task-sharing, and establishing referral and supervision mechanisms. Barriers were reported in a range of framework elements, but primarily related to those in the health system. The overall quality of studies were limited. Conclusion Few MHPSS interventions in humanitarian crises appear to have been scaled up, and scaling up efforts were largely horizontal which challenges long-term sustainability. Greater focus should be on both horizontal and vertical scaling up, which should be accompanied by higher quality research.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 681
Author(s):  
Ritu Rana ◽  
Marie McGrath ◽  
Ekta Sharma ◽  
Paridhi Gupta ◽  
Marko Kerac

Small and nutritionally at-risk infants under six months, defined as those with wasting, underweight, or other forms of growth failure, are at high-risk of mortality and morbidity. The World Health Organisation 2013 guidelines on severe acute malnutrition highlight the need to effectively manage this vulnerable group, but programmatic challenges are widely reported. This review aims to inform future management strategies for small and nutritionally at-risk infants under six months in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by synthesising evidence on existing breastfeeding support packages for all infants under six months. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Global Health databases from inception to 18 July 2018. Intervention of interest were breastfeeding support packages. Studies reporting breastfeeding practices and/or caregivers’/healthcare staffs’ knowledge/skills/practices for infants under six months from LMICs were included. Study quality was assessed using NICE quality appraisal checklist for intervention studies. A narrative data synthesis using the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis (SWiM) reporting guideline was conducted and key features of successful programmes identified. Of 15,256 studies initially identified, 41 were eligible for inclusion. They were geographically diverse, representing 22 LMICs. Interventions were mainly targeted at mother–infant pairs and only 7% (n = 3) studies included at-risk infants. Studies were rated to be of good or adequate quality. Twenty studies focused on hospital-based interventions, another 20 on community-based and one study compared both. Among all interventions, breastfeeding counselling (n = 6) and education (n = 6) support packages showed the most positive effect on breastfeeding practices followed by breastfeeding training (n = 4), promotion (n = 4) and peer support (n = 3). Breastfeeding education support (n = 3) also improved caregivers’ knowledge/skills/practices. Identified breastfeeding support packages can serve as "primary prevention" interventions for all infants under six months in LMICs. For at-risk infants, these packages need to be adapted and formally tested in future studies. Future work should also examine impacts of breastfeeding support on anthropometry and morbidity outcomes. The review protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO 2018 CRD42018102795).


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Ackah ◽  
Louise Ameyaw ◽  
Kwadwo Owusu Akuffo ◽  
Cynthia Osei Yeboah ◽  
Nana Esi Wood ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Seroprevalence of SARS Cov-2 provides a good indication of the extent of exposure and spread in the population, as well as those likely to benefit from a vaccine candidate. To date, there is no published or ongoing systematic review on the seroprevalence of COVID-19 in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). This systematic review and meta-analysis will estimate SARS Cov-2 seroprevalence and the risk factors for SARS Cov-2 infection in LMICs.Methods We will search PubMed, EMBASE, WHO COVID-19 Global research database, Google Scholar, the African Journals Online, LILAC, HINARI, medRxiv, bioRxiv and Cochrane Library for potentially useful studies on seroprevalence of COVID-19 in LMICs from December 2019 to December 2020 without language restriction. Two authors will independently screen all the articles, select studies based on pre-specified eligibility criteria and extract data using a pre-tested data extraction form. Any disagreements will be resolved through discussion between the authors. The pooled seroprevalence of SARS CoV-2 for people from LMICs will be calculated. Random effects model will be used in case of substantial heterogeneity in the included studies, otherwise fixed-effect model will be used. A planned subgroup, sensitivity and meta-regression analyses will be performed. For comparative studies, the analyses will be performed using Review Manager v 5.4; otherwise, STATA 16 will be used. All effect estimates will be presented with their confidence intervals.Discussion The study will explore and systematically review empirical evidence on SARS Cov-2 seroprevalence in LMICs, and to assess the risk factors for SARS Cov-2 infection in Low Middle Income Countries in the context of rolling out vaccines in these countries. Finally, explore risk classifications to help with the rolling out of vaccines in LMICs.Systematic review registration: The protocol for this review has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD422020221548).


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Master R.O. Chisale ◽  
Sheena Ramazanu ◽  
Joseph Tsung-Shu Wu ◽  
Frank W. Sinyiza ◽  
Thokozani Bvumbwe ◽  
...  

Abstract Background World Health Organisation (WHO) has approved and recommended several public health measures to halt the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The implementation of recommended interventions vary between higher income and Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). The economical constraints within LMICs posed challenges in accessing resources for COVID-19 prevention. The study aimed to identify the workable community-based interventions being utilised in LMICs.Main body We applied systematic review approach for this study. Included articles were searched in eight online databases. The analysis was guided by the acceptable of best practice developed by the PROSPERO and COCHRANE for systematic search and selection of articles using pre-defined search terms. Furthermore, a PRISMA flow diagram was used to show the number of articles retrieved, retained, excluded with rationales given for every action. Studies conducted on community-based intervention for preventing COVID-19 and levels of knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) on community-based intervention for preventing COVID-19 regardless of the design were included. A mixed method appraisal tool (MMAT) was used to appraise studies.Six studies from LMICs were included for detail analysis after the systematic review screening process from 10,100 articles. The quality assessment using MMAT tool appraised these articles were all in highest quality. Among the six articles, 10 community-based interventions were implemented in LMICs. The three key workable and implemented interventions are: use of masks, social distance and hand wash. The review identified varying levels of KAP between LMICs and social-demographical factors affecting KAP in these settings.Conclusion This systematic review has identified the community-based interventions implemented in LMICs to prevent COVID-19 during the pandemic and key factors affecting the level of KAP among the population. This study re-affirms the importance of effective and suitable implementation of the identified interventions. More studies need to be conducted in LMICs to establish the effectiveness and adoption of the implemented and recommended interventions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudha Subhadra Kallakuri ◽  
Pallab K Maulik ◽  
Prachi Kaistha ◽  
Maree Hackett

Abstract Background: Adolescence is a very important transitional phase for an individual as they move from childhood to adulthood. In 2007, the World Health Organization reported that 16% of the global burden of disease and injuries occur among adolescents i.e. those aged between 10 and 19 years, most of them starting by the age of 14 years and usually become serious; if left unrecognised or unattended at that point in time. Several risk factors are associated with increases in the mental health disorders. It is pertinent to promote interventions which teach life skills like regulating one’s emotions, building resilience, and dealing with difficult situations with confidence and strength. This mixed-methods systematic review aims to synthesise best available evidence on the barriers and facilitators to help seeking for mental illnesses among adolescents in Low-Middle-Income Countries Methods and Analyses: The systematic review will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Systematic searches will be carried out in electronic databases like PubMed,EMBASE, PsychINFO, Sociofile, CINAHL to identify studies relevant to the review question. At the first stage, titles and abstracts of articles retrieved through the searches will be examined against the eligibility criteria. The second stage will involve independent full-text screening of included articles by two reviewers. All qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method research studies which explicitly answer the research questions will be considered in this review. Methodological appraisal (Risk of Bias) will be conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute's standardized critical appraisal tools or other standardized critical appraisal tools contingent on the study design by two reviewers. Data will be extracted on the aims/purpose, study design, geographical location, study population, study duration, interventions (if applicable) outcomes, and results of included studies. Data analyses will be conducted using the convergent approach to analysis of mixed methods research using JBI guidance. Discussion: The research will help to identify gaps in knowledge and generate evidence for health departments to look more specifically at the mental health of adolescents and challenges of addressing them. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42020214349


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