This article looks at new ways to strengthen the mental health workforce and make care more accessible. It highlights how training community health workers to provide basic mental health support, using digital tools like telepsychiatry, and involving people with lived experience can improve care in places with few specialists. It also stresses the importance of teamwork between … [Read more...] about Innovative models of integrated community mental health workforce development
Mental health care
Community Health Worker Interventions for Identifying and Managing Antenatal Depression: A Cluster-Linked Implementation Study
This study tested whether community health workers (CHWs) could help identify and support pregnant women with depression in rural areas. CHWs were trained to screen women, offer simple counseling, and refer serious cases to health facilities. They screened nearly 1,000 women, and about one in four showed signs of depression. Most accepted and completed the counseling sessions. … [Read more...] about Community Health Worker Interventions for Identifying and Managing Antenatal Depression: A Cluster-Linked Implementation Study
Design and Development of a mHealth Dementia Screening Tool in Resource-Limited Settings: Lessons Learned from Designing for and with Community Health Workers in Peru
Dementia care is difficult in rural parts of Latin America, where tools for diagnosis often don’t work well because they are not designed with local needs in mind. This study looked at how working closely with community health workers and local healthcare staff in rural Peru helped create a mobile app to screen for dementia. Over 18 months, the team used feedback from the … [Read more...] about Design and Development of a mHealth Dementia Screening Tool in Resource-Limited Settings: Lessons Learned from Designing for and with Community Health Workers in Peru
Chain Mediating Effect of Physical Activity and Psychological Resilience on Social Isolation and Psychological Well-Being in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
This study looked at how social isolation affects the mental well-being of older adults. It found that being socially isolated lowers well-being, but staying physically active and being emotionally strong can help reduce this negative impact. These two factors, physical activity and resilience, explain much of the link between isolation and poor mental health. The study … [Read more...] about Chain Mediating Effect of Physical Activity and Psychological Resilience on Social Isolation and Psychological Well-Being in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Supporting healthcare in rural communities in Thailand: An exploratory qualitative study to understand the role and current mental health practices of village health volunteers
This study looked at how village health volunteers (VHVs) in rural Thailand support people with mental health needs. Interviews with VHVs, nurses, caregivers, and a person with lived experience showed that VHVs mostly focus on physical health and have little training or support for mental health care. Challenges include stigma, heavy workloads, and lack of mental health … [Read more...] about Supporting healthcare in rural communities in Thailand: An exploratory qualitative study to understand the role and current mental health practices of village health volunteers