Review of the Lessons from the Mental Health Care in a Public Health Context Short Course: Australia Awards Africa

Brian Maila; Denis Mbako Jato

doi:10.21601/ejeph/9369

Full Text (PDF)

Brian Maila ¹ ² ^* , Denis Mbako Jato ³

More Detail

¹ Chainama Hills College Hospital, P.O. Box 30043, Lusaka, ZAMBIA² The University of Zambia, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, P.O. Box 50110, Lusaka, ZAMBIA³ Integrated Health for All Foundation (IHAF), P. O. Box 31717, Biyem-Assi, Yaounde, CAMEROON^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends human resource development as a key strategy to promote global mental health. The optimal approach to building capacity in global mental health care requires partnerships between professional resources in high-income countries and promising health-related institutions in low- and middle-income countries. In this paper, we briefly describe the objectives of one of such initiatives, the Australia Awards Short Course titled, ‘Mental Health Care in a Public Health Context’, sponsored by the Australian Government, share our experience and reflections as participants in the program, and highlight key lessons relevant for scale-up of mental health care in low-middle income countries in Africa.

Keywords

Australia Awards Africa
mental health care
public health
capacity building
global mental health
task-shifting
stigma
gender
trauma
policy
financing

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Editorial

EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT, Volume 5, Issue 2, 2021, Article No: em0068

https://doi.org/10.21601/ejeph/9369

Publication date: 04 Jan 2021

Article Views: 3272

Article Downloads: 2134

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

Bährer-Kohler, S. and Carod-Artal, F. J. (Eds.). (2017). Global Mental Health. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59123-0
Bharadwaj, P., Pai, M. M. and Suziedelyte, A. (2017). Mental health stigma. Economics Letters, 159, 57-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2017.06.028
Bolton, D. and Gillett, G. (2019). The Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Disease: New Philosophical and Scientific Developments. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11899-0
CalMHSA. (2010). California Mental Health Services Authority. Statewide prevention and early intervention implementation work plan. Available at: http://calmhsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/CalMHSA-Implementation-Work-Plan-FINAL-11-18-10-POSTED.pdf (Accessed 4 April 2020).
Carmen, E. (Hilberman), Russo, N. F. and Miller, J. B. (1984). Inequality and Women’s Mental Health. In P. P. Rieker & E. (Hilberman) Carmen (Eds.), The Gender Gap in Psychotherapy: Social Realities and Psychological Processes (pp. 17-39). Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4754-5_3
Castro, F. G., Barrera, Jr., M. and Martinez, Jr., C. R. (2004). The Cultural Adaptation of Prevention Interventions: Resolving Tensions Between Fidelity and Fit. Prevention Science, 5(1), 41-45. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:PREV.0000013980.12412.cd
Chibanda, D. (2011). Problem-solving therapy for depression and common mental disorders in Zimbabwe: Piloting a task-shifting primary mental health care intervention in a population with a high prevalence of people living with HIV | BMC Public Health. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-11-828
Chibanda, D., Weiss, H. A., Verhey, R., Simms, V., Munjoma, R., Rusakaniko, S., Chingono, A., Munetsi, E., Bere, T., Manda, E., Abas, M. and Araya, R. (2016). Effect of a Primary Care-Based Psychological Intervention on Symptoms of Common Mental Disorders in Zimbabwe: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA, 316(24), 2618. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.19102
Chisholm, D., Sanderson, K., Ayuso-Mateos, J. L. and Saxena, S. (2004). Reducing the global burden of depression: Population-level analysis of intervention cost-effectiveness in 14 world regions. The British Journal of Psychiatry: The Journal of Mental Science, 184, 393-403. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.184.5.393
Clark, W., Welch, S. N., Berry, S. H., Collentine, A. M., Collins, R., Lebron, D. and Shearer, A. L. (2013). California’s Historic Effort to Reduce the Stigma of Mental Illness: The Mental Health Services Act. American Journal of Public Health, 103(5), 786-794. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301225
Collins, P. Y., Tomlinson, M., Kakuma, R., Awuba, J. and Minas, H. (2013). Research Priorities, Capacity, and Networks in Global Mental Health. In V. Patel, H. Minas, A. Cohen and M. Prince (Eds.), Global Mental Health (pp. 425-449). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780199920181.003.0019
Directory of Services and Resources for Survivors of Torture. (2003). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services.
Dixon, A., McDaid, D., Knapp, M. and Curran, C. (2006). Financing mental health services in low- and middle-income countries. Health Policy and Planning; Oxford, 21(3), 171-182. https://doi.org.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/10.1093/heapol/czl004
Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: A challenge for biomedicine. Science, 196(4286), 129-136. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.847460
Freeman, M. (2016). Global mental health in low and middle income, especially African countries. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 25(6), 503-505. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796016000482
Fricchione, G. L., Borba, C. P. C., Alem, A., Shibre, T., Carney, J. R. and Henderson, D. C. (n.d.). Capacity Building in Global Mental Health: Professional Training. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 20(1), 47-57. https://doi.org/10.3109/10673229.2012.655211
Gagliese, L., Gauthier, L. R., Narain, N. and Freedman, T. (2018). Pain, aging and dementia: Towards a biopsychosocial model. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 87, 207-215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.09.022
Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. Penguin. Available at: https://www.freelists.org/archives/sig-dsu/11-2012/pdfKhTzvDIi8n.pdf
Hailemariam, M., Fekadu, A., Selamu, M., Alem, A., Medhin, G., Giorgis, T. W., DeSilva, M. and Breuer, E. (2015). Developing a mental health care plan in a low resource setting: The theory of change approach. BMC Health Services Research, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-015-1097-4
Health on the mind. (2018, February 14). Who or WHO’s Definition of Health? Health on the Mind. https://healthonthemind.wordpress.com/2018/02/14/who-or-whos-definition-of-health/
Hoeft, T. J., Fortney, J. C., Patel, V. and Unützer, J. (2018). Task-Sharing Approaches to Improve Mental Health Care in Rural and Other Low-Resource Settings: A Systematic Review. The Journal of Rural Health: Official Journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association, 34(1), 48-62. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12229
Iliescu, D. (2017, October). Adapting Tests in Linguistic and Cultural Situations. Cambridge Core. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316273203
Joshi, R., Alim, M., Kengne, A. P., Jan, S., Maulik, P. K., Peiris, D. and Patel, A. A. (2014). Task Shifting for Non-Communicable Disease Management in Low and Middle Income Countries - A Systematic Review. PLoS ONE, 9(8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103754
Pilgrim, D. (2015). The Biopsychosocial Model in Health Research: Its Strengths and Limitations for Critical Realists. Journal of Critical Realism, 14(2), 164-180. https://doi.org/10.1179/1572513814Y.0000000007
QPAST. (2014). Counselling. Qpastt.Org.Au. Available at: https://qpastt.org.au/what-we-do/counselling/
QUT, Q. U. of T. (2019). Mental health professionals from nine African nations at QUT for a customised course [News]. QUT. Available at: https://www.qut.edu.au/news?id=149849
Rodgers, R. F., Paxton, S. J. and McLean, S. A. (2014). A Biopsychosocial Model of Body Image Concerns and Disordered Eating in Early Adolescent Girls. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(5), 814-823. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-0013-7
Sankoh, O., Sevalie, S. and Weston, M. (2018). Mental health in Africa. The Lancet Global Health, 6(9), e954-e955. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30303-6
Soghoyan, A. and Gasparyan, K. (2017). Mental Health and Stigma. In S. Bährer-Kohler & F. J. Carod-Artal (Eds.), Global Mental Health: Prevention and Promotion (pp. 61-69). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59123-0_6
Ssebunnya, J., Kangere, S., Mugisha, J., Docrat, S., Chisholm, D., Lund, C. and Kigozi, F. (2018). Potential strategies for sustainably financing mental health care in Uganda. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 12(1), 74. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-018-0252-9
Staples, L. and Stein, R. (2008). The clubhouse model: Mental health consumer-provider partnerships for recovery. In Advances in Medical Sociology (Vol. 10, pp. 177-196). Emerald (MCB UP). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1057-6290(08)10009-2
Suls, J. and Rothman, A. (2004). Evolution of the Biopsychosocial Model: Prospects and Challenges for Health Psychology. Health Psychology, 23(2), 119-125. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.23.2.119
Susskind, J. (2013). Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Community Program Planning Process FY 2019/20. Available at: https://www.edcgov.us:443/Government/MentalHealth/mhsacpppfy1920
Thornicroft, G., Cooper, S., Van Bortel, T., Kakuma, R. and Lund, C. (2012). Capacity Building in Global Mental Health Research. [Miscellaneous Article]. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 20(1), 13-24. https://doi.org/10.3109/10673229.2012.649117
VFST. (2016). Foundation House: Supporting Refugees to Rebuild their Lives. Foundation House. Available at: https://foundationhouse.org.au/
Wade, D. T. and Halligan, P. W. (2004). Do biomedical models of illness make for good healthcare systems? BMJ: British Medical Journal, 329(7479), 1398-1401. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.329.7479.1398
Wei, F. (2008). Research capacity for mental health in low- and middle-income countries: Results of a mapping project. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 86(11), 908-908. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.08.053249
WHO. (2001). WHO | The world health report 2001 - Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope. WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/whr/2001/en/
WHO. (2002). WHO | Gender and mental health. WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/gender-equity-rights/knowledge/a85573/en/
WHO (Ed.). (2005a). Human resources and training in mental health. World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/mental_health/policy/services/11_human%20resource_training_WEB_07.pdf?ua=1
WHO. (2005b). WHO | The WHO mental health policy and service guidance package. WHO. Available at: http://www.who.int/mental_health/policy/essentialpackage1/en/
WHO. (2017). WHO | Mental Health ATLAS 2017. WHO. Available at: http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/atlas/mental_health_atlas_2017/en/
WHO. (2019). Stronger collaboration, better health. WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications-detail/stronger-collaboration-better-health-global-action-plan-for-healthy-lives-and-well-being-for-all
Wikipedia. (2020). Sustainable Development Goals. Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sustainable_Development_Goals&oldid=940295377
Youssef, J. and Deane, F. P. (2006). Factors influencing mental-health help-seeking in Arabic-speaking communities in Sydney, Australia. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 9(1), 43-66. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674670512331335686
Yu, S. (2018). Uncovering the hidden impacts of inequality on mental health: A global study. Translational Psychiatry, 8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-018-0148-0

How to cite this article

Vancouver

Maila B, Jato DM. Review of the Lessons from the Mental Health Care in a Public Health Context Short Course: Australia Awards Africa. EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT. 2021;5(2):em0068. https://doi.org/10.21601/ejeph/9369

APA

Maila, B., & Jato, D. M. (2021). Review of the Lessons from the Mental Health Care in a Public Health Context Short Course: Australia Awards Africa. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 5(2), em0068. https://doi.org/10.21601/ejeph/9369

AMA

Maila B, Jato DM. Review of the Lessons from the Mental Health Care in a Public Health Context Short Course: Australia Awards Africa. EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT. 2021;5(2), em0068. https://doi.org/10.21601/ejeph/9369

Chicago

Maila, Brian, and Denis Mbako Jato. "Review of the Lessons from the Mental Health Care in a Public Health Context Short Course: Australia Awards Africa". European Journal of Environment and Public Health 2021 5 no. 2 (2021): em0068. https://doi.org/10.21601/ejeph/9369

Harvard

Maila, B., and Jato, D. M. (2021). Review of the Lessons from the Mental Health Care in a Public Health Context Short Course: Australia Awards Africa. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 5(2), em0068. https://doi.org/10.21601/ejeph/9369

MLA

Maila, Brian et al. "Review of the Lessons from the Mental Health Care in a Public Health Context Short Course: Australia Awards Africa". European Journal of Environment and Public Health, vol. 5, no. 2, 2021, em0068. https://doi.org/10.21601/ejeph/9369