Developing mental health research in sub-Saharan Africa: capacity building in the AFFIRM project
Background There 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 capacit...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425116000285/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1827994782579818496 |
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| author | M. Schneider K. Sorsdahl R. Mayston J. Ahrens D. Chibanda A. Fekadu C. Hanlon S. Holzer S. Musisi A. Ofori-Atta G. Thornicroft M. Prince A. Alem E. Susser C. Lund |
| author_facet | M. Schneider K. Sorsdahl R. Mayston J. Ahrens D. Chibanda A. Fekadu C. Hanlon S. Holzer S. Musisi A. Ofori-Atta G. Thornicroft M. Prince A. Alem E. Susser C. Lund |
| author_sort | M. Schneider |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Background
There 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.
Methods
AFFIRM 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.
Results
AFFIRM 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.
Conclusions
Having 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.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:46:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9d9fd347f2fa4c4ebe56646dfe23f7d7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-4251 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:46:21Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-9d9fd347f2fa4c4ebe56646dfe23f7d72023-03-09T12:35:35ZengCambridge University PressCambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health2054-42512016-01-01310.1017/gmh.2016.28Developing mental health research in sub-Saharan Africa: capacity building in the AFFIRM projectM. Schneider0K. Sorsdahl1R. Mayston2J. Ahrens3D. Chibanda4A. Fekadu5C. Hanlon6S. Holzer7S. Musisi8A. Ofori-Atta9G. Thornicroft10M. Prince11A. Alem12E. Susser13C. Lund14Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, University of Cape Town, 46 Sawkins Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South AfricaDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, University of Cape Town, 46 Sawkins Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South AfricaCentre for Global Mental Health, Health Services and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UKDepartment of Mental Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Malawi, Blantyre, MalawiDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, ZimbabweDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaCentre for Global Mental Health, Health Services and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaDepartment of Mental Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Malawi, Blantyre, MalawiDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaCentre for Global Mental Health, Health Services and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UKCentre for Global Mental Health, Health Services and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UKDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaMailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, University of Cape Town, 46 Sawkins Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa Background There 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. Methods AFFIRM 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. Results AFFIRM 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. Conclusions Having 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. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425116000285/type/journal_articleAFFIRMcapacity buildinglow- and middle-income countriesmental health researchsub-Saharan AfricaTeaching and Learning |
| spellingShingle | M. Schneider K. Sorsdahl R. Mayston J. Ahrens D. Chibanda A. Fekadu C. Hanlon S. Holzer S. Musisi A. Ofori-Atta G. Thornicroft M. Prince A. Alem E. Susser C. Lund Developing mental health research in sub-Saharan Africa: capacity building in the AFFIRM project Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health AFFIRM capacity building low- and middle-income countries mental health research sub-Saharan Africa Teaching and Learning |
| title | Developing mental health research in sub-Saharan Africa: capacity building in the AFFIRM project |
| title_full | Developing mental health research in sub-Saharan Africa: capacity building in the AFFIRM project |
| title_fullStr | Developing mental health research in sub-Saharan Africa: capacity building in the AFFIRM project |
| title_full_unstemmed | Developing mental health research in sub-Saharan Africa: capacity building in the AFFIRM project |
| title_short | Developing mental health research in sub-Saharan Africa: capacity building in the AFFIRM project |
| title_sort | developing mental health research in sub saharan africa capacity building in the affirm project |
| topic | AFFIRM capacity building low- and middle-income countries mental health research sub-Saharan Africa Teaching and Learning |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425116000285/type/journal_article |
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