Knowledge Hub
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10/17/2022
Adverse childhood experiences and global mental health: avenues to reduce the burden of child and adolescent mental disorders
Mental disorders are one of the largest contributors to the burden of disease globally, this holds also for children and adolescents, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The prevalence and severity of these disorders are influenced by social determinants, including exposure to adversity. When occurring early in life, these latter events are referred to as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This editorial provides an overview of the literature on the role of ACEs as social determinants of mental health through the lenses of global mental health. While the relation between ACEs and mental health has been extensively explored, most research was centred in higher income contexts. Here, it is argued that findings from the realm of global mental health should be integrated into that of ACEs, e.g. through preventative and responsive psychosocial interventions for children, adolescents and their caregivers.
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11/14/2022
Collaborative Coding in Multi-National Teams: Benefits, Challenges and Experiences Promoting Equitable Research
Within multi-national research collaborations, power dynamics often shape who is involved in which parts of the research process. The analysis phase of research has historically been framed as requiring expert perspective, excluding national or local researchers whose role is often limited to collecting data and transferring it to others to analyse. This paper describes and reflects on the process of collaborative coding across a multi-national team based in Lebanon and the United Kingdom, as part of a broader approach to co-production. Moreover, it contributes a reflexive analysis on the power dynamics and decision-making complexities involved in collaborative coding; emphasising the importance of investing in interpersonal relationships over time and prioritising less-centralised decision-making within research collaborations.
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07/18/2023
A systematic review of the literature on community-level child protection in low- and middle-income countries
This systematic review synthesizes the current state of literature on community-level child protection in LMICs. The aim of the review was to present available evidence and effective strategies that implementing agencies can use to support community-level structures, practices, resources and processes. The review highlights (1) a practice-research gap related to community-level approaches generally and more specifically in humanitarian settings; (2) the important role of different socio-ecological levels when implementing community-level interventions; and (3) a number of recommended strategies that implementing agencies can adopt in their work. Further studies, with a focus on outcomes for children, families and communities, are needed to broaden the current evidence-base and research on the applicability and effectiveness of community-level approaches in humanitarian settings is recommended to steer implementation in the sector.
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10/31/2023
Reducing stigma impacting children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: The development of a common multi-component stigma reduction intervention
Stigmatisation impedes health and quality of life. Evidence regarding stigma reduction interventions is, albeit growing, limited. There is a gap in the availability and evidence of interventions for reducing stigma among children and adolescents, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This paper describes the process that led to a stigma reduction intervention impacting children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries, following previously conducted formative research.
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09/13/2023
Interventions to increase help-seeking for mental health care in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review
Mental health problems are a significant and growing cause of morbidity worldwide. Despite the availability of evidence-based interventions, most people experiencing mental health problems remain untreated. This treatment gap is particularly large in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and is due to both supply-side and demand-side barriers. The aim of this systematic review is to identify and synthesise the evidence on interventions to improve help-seeking for mental health problems in LMICs.
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10/27/2023
Strategies to improve the quality and usefulness of mental health trials in humanitarian settings
A striking rise in the number of people affected by humanitarian crises has led to an increase in mental health and psychosocial support interventions to reduce the psychological effects of such crises. In a parallel trend, researchers have brought increased methodological rigour to their evaluation of these interventions. However, several methodological issues still constrain the quality and real-world relevance of the existing evidence base. This literature review examines five core challenges in randomised controlled trials of mental health and psychosocial support interventions with conflict-affected and disaster-affected populations.
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12/04/2023
Systematic review of strategies for improving attendance in health and mental health interventions for children and adolescents in LMICs: Implications for mental health interventions
This review synthesises the evidence base for promoting and maintaining attendance in mental health and health interventions for children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and identifies strategies that can be employed for mental health interventions in those contexts. This is achieved through systematically searching relevant peer-reviewed literature in PubMed, Embase, PsychINFO and Global Health. The findings identify several promising strategies from the global health literature, which can be translated to mental health interventions for children and adolescents in LMICs. Still, they also highlight the need for further research to establish their appropriateness in addressing the barriers to attendance in mental health interventions.
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