A challenge faced by many countries is to provide adequate human resources for delivery of essential mental health interventions. The overwhelming worldwide shortage of human resources for mental health, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries, is well established. Evidence suggests that mental health care can be delivered effectively in primary health-care … [Read more...] about Human resources for mental health care: current situation and strategies for action
CHWs and Mental Health
Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder by trained lay counselors in an African refugee settlement: a randomized controlled trial.
Traumatic stress due to conflict and war causes major mental health problems in many resource-poor countries. The objective of this study was to examine whether trained lay counselors can carry out effective treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a refugee settlement. In a randomized controlled dissemination trial in Uganda with 277 Rwandan and Somalian refugees … [Read more...] about Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder by trained lay counselors in an African refugee settlement: a randomized controlled trial.
Roles and Effectiveness of Lay Community Health Workers in the Prevention of Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders in Low and Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review
It has been suggested that lay community health workers (LHWs) could play a role in primary and secondary prevention of Mental, Neurological and Substance use (MNS) disorders in low resourced settings. The paper conducts a systematic literature review aimed to assess the existing evidence base for the roles and effectiveness of lay community health workers in primary and … [Read more...] about Roles and Effectiveness of Lay Community Health Workers in the Prevention of Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders in Low and Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review
Community-based participatory development of a community health worker mental health outreach role to extend collaborative care in post-Katrina New Orleans
The REACH NOLA Mental Health Infrastructure and Training Project (MHIT) aimed to reduce disparities in access to and quality of services for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in post-Katrina New Orleans by developing a mental health outreach role for community health workers (CHWs) and case managers as a complement to the collaborative care model for … [Read more...] about Community-based participatory development of a community health worker mental health outreach role to extend collaborative care in post-Katrina New Orleans
Lay health worker led intervention for depressive and anxiety disorders in India: impact on clinical and disability outcomes over 12 months
Depressive and anxiety disorders (common mental disorders) are the most common psychiatric condition encountered in primary healthcare. This article discusses the effectiveness of an intervention led by lay health counsellors in primary care settings (the MANAS intervention) to improve the outcomes of people with common mental disorders. Results showed that trained lay … [Read more...] about Lay health worker led intervention for depressive and anxiety disorders in India: impact on clinical and disability outcomes over 12 months