Background The study estimated service coverage for severe mental disorders (psychosis, bipolar disorder and moderate-severe depression), globally and regionally, using data collected from the Mental Health Atlas 2017. Methods Service coverage was defined as the proportion of people with a disorder contacting a mental health service among those estimated to have the disorder during a 12-month period

Background Subjective wellbeing in terms of objective outcome can be useful to determine the level of progress in clinical practice as well as research studies in Bangladesh. Besides, cultural understanding of well-being for Bangladeshi population is also equally important to report. A valid Bangla version of the five-item WHO Well-being Index can be a suitable measure to achieve the purposes. Therefore

Besides addressing the increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders, social challenges, and building community resilience during the crisis, mental health professionals (MHPs) are in a unique position to assist the vaccination drive against coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in various nations. Vaccination programs are adversely affected by misinformation, fake news and vaccine hesitancy fuelled

Background Persons in Arctic regions disproportionately experience depression. Knowledge gaps remain regarding factors associated with depression among adolescents in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, where child and adolescent mental health hospitalizations are nearly 2.5 times the national rate. This study assesses correlates of depression among adolescents in the NWT. Methods We conducted

Background Depression is globally a crucial communal psychiatric disorder, which is more common in older adults. The situation is considerably worse among millions of older (forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals or FDMNs) Rohingya adults, and the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may exacerbate the already existing precarious situation. The present study investigated depressive symptoms and

Background Leprosy, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and Chagas disease (CD) are neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) with a high psychosocial burden in Norte de Santander and Arauca in Colombia. This study provides insights into affected persons' feelings, perceptions and experiences to better understand the nature of this burden. Methods In 2018, 34 leprosy, CD and CL patients participated in four focus

Background There is a growing literature in support of the effectiveness of task-shared mental health interventions in resource-limited settings globally. However, despite evidence that effect sizes are greater in research studies than actual care, the literature is sparse on the impact of such interventions as delivered in routine care. In this paper, we examine the clinical outcomes of routine depression

Background Adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) are disproportionally impacted by depression, experiencing worse HIV outcomes. Integrated depression and HIV care may support antiretroviral adherence. This study pilot tested for proof of concept a basic depression care pathway for ALWH to inform depression care integration with HIV services in Peru. Methods ALWH were screened for depression with the Patient

Background Caregiver mental health is linked to early childhood development, yet more robust evidence of community-based interventions to prevent maternal depression and optimize socio-emotional development of young children is needed. Objectives of this cluster-randomized controlled trial (cRCT), based in Northern Ghana, are to assess the impact of the lay counselor-delivered, group-based Integrated

Background The present study examined whether subjective accelerated aging moderated the relationship between COVID-19 health worries and COVID-19 peritraumatic distress among older adults. Method The sample consisted of 277 older adults (M = 69.58, s.d. = 6.73, range 60–92) who answered an online questionnaire during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. Participants completed the measures

Background Few studies provide clear rationale for and the reception of adaptations of evidence-based interventions. To address this gap, we describe the context-dependent adaptations in critical time intervention-task shifting (CTI-TS), a manualized recovery program for individuals with psychosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Santiago, Chile. Implications of the adaptations – incorporating a task-shifting

Background Faced with the situation of COVID-19, teachers are dealing with new measures, insecurity and a lack of clear guidelines. The aim of this study is to analyse the levels of stress, anxiety and depression of teachers in the north of Spain. Methods This study was conducted with 1633 teachers from the Department of Education of the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) and Navarre, all of whom are

Background To assess whether Healing in Harmony (HiH), a form of music therapy, improved women's mental health following conflict-related trauma and sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Methods This study used a step-wedged design and included 167 women, who completed up to two pre-tests, a post-test, and up to two follow-up interviews at 3 and 6 months after completing the program

Background and study objectives This study aimed to assess among Ukrainian adults: (1) knowledge of mental disorders; (2) attitudes towards people with mental health disorders, and to the delivery of mental health treatment within the community; and (3) behaviours towards people with mental disorders. Methodology A cross-sectional survey of Ukrainian adults aged 18–60 was conducted. Stigma-related

Background In the aftermath of the devastating 2015 earthquakes in Nepal, three non-governmental organizations collaborated to develop a program responding to the immediate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs in three severely affected districts: Dhading, Gorkha, and Sindhuli. The program was implemented between April 2015 and February 2017 and aimed to (i) strengthen health worker

Background Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the largest care gap for common mental disorders (CMDs) globally, heralding the use of cost-cutting approaches such as task-shifting and digital technologies as viable approaches for expanding the mental health workforce. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a problem-solving therapy (PST) intervention that is delivered by community health volunteers

Mental health disorders are prevalent among youth and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries, and access to evidence-based treatments is poor. Although there is a great need for high-quality research to serve young people in low- and middle-income countries, there is limited guidance available for researchers who wish to conduct such work. Here, we describe our process of conducting school-based

Background There is a scarcity of evaluated tools to assess whether non-specialist providers achieve minimum levels of competency to effectively and safely deliver psychological interventions in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and utility of the newly developed Working with children – Assessment of Competencies Tool (WeACT) to assess service

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) and unhealthy alcohol use are common yet often unaddressed public health problems in low- and middle-income countries. In a randomized trial, we found that the common elements treatment approach (CETA), a multi-problem, flexible, transdiagnostic intervention, was effective in reducing IPV and unhealthy alcohol use among couples in Zambia at a 12-month post-baseline

Background Training lay people to deliver mental health interventions in the community can be an effective strategy to mitigate mental health manpower shortages in low- and middle-income countries. The healthy beginning initiative (HBI) is a congregation-based platform that uses this approach to train church-based lay health advisors to conduct mental health screening in community churches and link

Background Because of the high burden of untreated mental illness in humanitarian settings and low- and middle-income countries, scaling-up effective psychological interventions require a cultural adaptation process that is feasible and acceptable. Our adaptation process incorporates changes into both content and implementation strategies, with a focus on local understandings of distress and treatment

Background Cognitive and behavioral impairment are common in children living with perinatally acquired HIV (pHIV) and children exposed to HIV in utero but uninfected (HEU). Methods We sought to determine the prevalence of adverse behavioral symptomatology using a Thai-translated and validated version of the SNAP-IV questionnaire and assess cognitive function utilizing the Children's Color Trails Test

Abstract Background There are few studies on the impact of out-of-pocket mental health care expenditures and sociodemographic factors on the probability of Mexican households to incur catastrophic healthcare expenditures (CHE). Objective The goal of the present study was to estimate the incidence of CHE and its main determinants among the households of persons with mental disorders (MD) in Mexico.

Abstract Background Mental health has recently gained increasing attention on global health and development agendas, including calls for an increase in international funding. Few studies have previously characterized official development assistance for mental health (DAMH) in a nuanced and differentiated manner in order to support future funding efforts. Methods Data from the Organisation for Economic

© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ‘Jack be nimble, Jack be quick...’: mental health and psychosocial

The impact of national and international crises and disasters on population mental health has been well established, with poorer mental health and a higher incidence of mental disorders documented during war and armed conflict, political instability and anti-government protests, natural disasters, economic crises, mass displacement, and linked more broadly to inequality, poverty and social injustices

Poverty and mental health Extreme poverty, measured as earning less than USD 1 90 a day by the World Bank, is accompanied by hunger, overcrowded living conditions, low accessibility and affordability of health services, limited educational and livelihood opportunities, and adverse life events associated with socioeconomic vulnerabilities Over time an awareness in the field of mental health recognizes

[ ]a review on psychological impact of quarantine found that various symptoms such as emotional disturbance, depression, stress, low mood, irritability, insomnia, post-traumatic stress symptoms, anger, and emotional exhaustion had been reported (Brooks et al , 2020) [ ]it is urgent to assist students to adjust their psychological state and stabilize their mood The lessons for caregivers include caregiver–child

Background The goals of this study were to (1) determine the feasibility and acceptability of using actigraphy to objectively measure sleep quality and habitual physical activity in rural Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and (2) examine the relationship between sleep parameters, self-report symptoms, daytime physical activity, and physical function, including the ability to work. Method Thirty individuals

Abstract Background Increased investment in optimal student mental health and well-being has been noted by universities around the world. Studies show the need for contextually relevant, granular understandings of specific aspects of student mental health and well-being. Methods A survey was conducted at two time points – at the beginning and end of the academic year – at a large, urban university

Background Currently, Ghana has 14 actively practicing psychiatrists and about 26 psychiatric residents for a population of over 28 million people. Previous research suggests a lack of interest by Ghanaian medical students and medical graduates in considering psychiatry as a career option. Objectives To examine the perception of medical students and psychiatry residents in Ghana about the barriers

Despite the progress made in HIV treatment and prevention, HIV remains a major cause of adolescent morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. As perinatally infected children increasingly survive into adulthood, the quality of life and mental health of this population has increased in importance. This review provides a synthesis of the prevalence of mental health problems in this population and

Background There is limited evidence on the relationship between disability, experiences of gender-based violence (GBV), and mental health among refugee women in humanitarian contexts. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of baseline data (n = 209) collected from women enrolled in a cohort study of refugee women accessing GBV response services in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya. Women

Background The study explores the challenges and threats young doctors in Pakistan working frontline toward the pandemic face, and how it translates into their personal and social lives. Methods Thirteen resident doctors working frontline with COVID-19 cases were approached and interviewed in-depth until the point of data saturation. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used as a method for

Background The maltreatment of people with mental illness in Ghana's traditional and faith-based healing centres, including shackling, flogging, and forced fasting, has been documented by numerous sources. Such treatment is potentially traumatising and may exacerbate mental health problems. Despite widespread use, few studies have focused on experiences and characteristics of people who seek traditional

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2020.17.].

Background Sudan has one of the largest numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the world, estimated at five million. The main cause of displacement was the civil war. Attention to the health and in particular the mental health of IDPs has been lacking. That includes limited population longitudinal data describing the “natural” fluctuations of mental morbidity among these groups. The aim

Background Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) experience a high burden of mental health disorder which is a barrier to antiretroviral therapy adherence. In Zimbabwe, trained, mentored peer supporters living with HIV (Community Adolescent Treatment Supporters – CATS) have been found to improve adherence, viral suppression and psychosocial well-being among ALHIV. The Friendship Bench is the largest

In the wake of George Floyd's killing by police in Minneapolis and the global response inspired by Black Lives Matter, it is time for the field of global mental health to reexamine how we have acknowledged and addressed racism in our institutions, our research, and our mental health services. In solidarity with street level responses, this is an important opportunity to understand and collaboratively

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2020.10.].

Background Over recent decades there has been considerable mental health research in Sierra Leone but little on local conceptualisations of mental health conditions. Understanding these is crucial both for identifying the experienced needs of the population and utilising relevant community-based resources to address them. This study took a grounded approach to identify the ways in which adults in Sierra

Background Integration of depression treatment into primary care could improve patient outcomes in low-resource settings. Losses along the depression care cascade limit integrated service effectiveness. This study identified patient-level factors that predicted detection of depressive symptoms by nurses, referral for depression treatment, and uptake of counseling, as part of integrated care in KwaZulu-Natal

Background Developmental disorders (DDs) in children are a priority condition and guidelines have been developed for their management within low-resource community settings. However, a key obstacle is lack of open access, reliable and valid tools that lay health workers can use to evaluate the impact of such programmes on child outcomes. We adapted and validated the World Health Organization's Disability

Background Globally, nearly 140 million children have experienced the death of one or both parents, and as a result many experience higher rates of mental health problems. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) delivered by lay counselors has been shown to improve mental health outcomes for children experiencing traumatic grief due to parental loss; however, challenges with treatment

Leprosy has long-term consequences related to impairment and stigma. This includes a major impact on mental health. This study aims to consolidate current evidence regarding the mental health impact of leprosy on affected persons and their family members. In addition, determinants influencing mental health outcomes among leprosy-affected persons and effective interventions are examined. A keyword-based

Background Cross-sectional studies show that the prevalence of comorbid depression in people with tuberculosis (TB) is high. The hypothesis that TB may lead to depression has not been well studied. Our objectives were to determine the incidence and predictors of probable depression in a prospective cohort of people with TB in primary care settings in Ethiopia. Methods We assessed 648 people with newly

Background The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model is a law enforcement strategy that aims to build alliances between the law enforcement and mental health communities. Despite its success in the United States, CIT has not been used in low- and middle-income countries. This study assesses the immediate and 9-month outcomes of CIT training on trainee knowledge and attitudes. Methods Twenty-two CIT

Background There is a need for accurate and efficient assessment tools that cover a range of mental health and psychosocial problems. Existing, lengthy self-report assessments may reduce accuracy due to respondent fatigue. Using data from a sample of adults enrolled in a psychotherapy randomized trial in Thailand and a cross-sectional sample of adolescents in Zambia, we leveraged Item Response Theory

Introduction When tuberculosis (TB) and depression co-occur, there is greater risk for comorbidities, disability, suffering, and health-related costs. Depression is also associated with poor treatment adherence in patients with TB. The major aim of this study was to assess the symptoms of depression and associated factors among TB patients currently receiving directly observed treatment short-course

Background United Nations (UN) personnel address a diverse range of political, social, and cultural crises throughout the world. Compared with other occupations routinely exposed to traumatic stress, there remains a paucity of research on mental health disorders and access to mental healthcare in this population. To fill this gap, personnel from UN agencies were surveyed for mental health disorders

Between 2010 and 2019 the international health care organization Partners In Health (PIH) and its sister organization Zanmi Lasante (ZL) mounted a long-term response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, focused on mental health. Over that time, implementing a Theory of Change developed in 2012, the organization successfully developed a comprehensive, sustained community mental health system in Haiti's Central

Background We systematically reviewed implementation research targeting depression interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to assess gaps in methodological coverage. Methods PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and EMBASE were searched for evaluations of depression interventions in LMICs reporting at least one implementation outcome published through March 2019. Results A total of 8714 studies

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

Background Mental disorders are the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. While over three-quarters of people with mental disorders live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and effective low-cost interventions are available, resource commitments are extremely limited. This paper seeks to understand the role of philanthropy in this area and to inform discussions about how to

This editorial paper accompanies a special series in the journal Global Mental Health focused on the topic of interpersonal violence and mental health. This series included 24 papers reporting on data from 31 countries, published between 2017 and 2019. This accompanying paper provides a short summary of findings in the special series and reflects on next steps in research and practice. Collectively

Background Little data exists about the methodology of contextualizing version two of the Mental Health Gap Action Programme Intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG) in resource-poor settings. This paper describes the contextualisation and pilot testing of the guide in Kilifi, Kenya. Methods Contextualisation was conducted as a collaboration between the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) and Kilifi

Facebook has transformed social communication and offers the opportunity to share personal thoughts to people including suicide ideas, plans and attempts. Suicide after Facebook posts has been reported in different parts of the world and it has become a potential area of research for suicide prevention. The analysis of Facebook posts prior to suicide or Facebook live streaming may help in understanding

Background Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are associated with increasing health burden in low- and middle-income countries. Less well-recognized is the potential health burden experienced by other affected individuals, such as family caregivers. In this study, we sought to profile the burden of care and its association with symptoms of depression and anxiety among informal caregivers of

Background There is robust evidence that compromised parenting, stemming from persistently high stress, mediates the impact of war and displacement on children's mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. Parenting interventions generally prioritize the acquisition of parenting knowledge and skills, while under-attending to parental stress and distress. This paper describes the development of the Caregiver

Background There is a scarcity of specialist trainers and supervisors for psychosocial interventions in low- and middle-income countries. A cascaded model of training and supervision was developed to sustain delivery of an evidence-based peer-delivered intervention for perinatal depression (the Thinking Healthy Programme) in rural Pakistan. The study aimed to evaluate the model. Methods Mixed methods