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Ali R, Brown FL, Stevenson K, Jordans M, Taha K, Amine ME, Steen F, Meksassi B, Elias J, Aoun M, Roberts B, Sijbrandij M, Cuijpers P, Akhtar A, Malik A, Woodward A, Fuhr DC. Implementing a Non-Specialist Delivered Psychological Intervention for Young Adolescents in a Protracted Refugee Setting: a Qualitative Process Evaluation in Lebanon. J Behav Health Serv Res 2024; 51:377-394. [PMID: 38087061 DOI: 10.1007/s11414-023-09870-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
There has been an increase in the evaluation and implementation of non-specialist delivered psychological interventions to address unmet mental health needs in humanitarian emergencies. While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) provide important evidence about intervention impact, complementary qualitative process evaluations are essential to understand key implementation processes and inform future scaling up of the intervention. This study was conducted as part of an RCT of the Early Adolescents Skills for Emotions (EASE) psychological intervention for young adolescents with elevated psychological distress (predominantly with a Syrian refugee background) in Lebanon. Our aims were firstly to conduct a qualitative process evaluation to understand stakeholder experiences and perceived impact of the intervention and identify barriers and facilitators for implementation, and secondly to explore considerations for scaling up. Eleven key informant interviews and seven focus groups were conducted with 39 respondents including adolescent and caregiver participants, trainers, providers, outreach workers, and local stakeholders. Data were analyzed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Respondents perceived the intervention to be highly needed and reported improvements in adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Key implementation factors that have potential to influence engagement, adherence, and perceived impact included the socio-economic situation of families, mental health stigma, coordination within and between sectors (particularly for scaling up), embedding the intervention within existing service pathways, having clear quality and accountability processes including training and supervision for non-specialists, and sustainable funding. Our findings provide important context for understanding effectiveness outcomes of the RCT and highlights factors that need to be considered when implementing a mental health intervention on a larger scale in a complex crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayane Ali
- Research and Development Department, War Child, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- War Child Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Felicity L Brown
- Research and Development Department, War Child, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kerrie Stevenson
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mark Jordans
- Research and Development Department, War Child, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karine Taha
- Research and Development Department, War Child, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- War Child Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Mounif El Amine
- Research and Development Department, War Child, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- War Child Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Frederik Steen
- Research and Development Department, War Child, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bassel Meksassi
- Research and Development Department, War Child, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- War Child Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Joseph Elias
- Research and Development Department, War Child, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- War Child Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - May Aoun
- Research and Development Department, War Child, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- War Child Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Bayard Roberts
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Marit Sijbrandij
- Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pim Cuijpers
- Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aemal Akhtar
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Insurance Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Aiysha Malik
- Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aniek Woodward
- KIT Royal Tropical Institute, KIT Health, Mauritskade 64, 1092 AD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Athena Institute, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Daniela C Fuhr
- Leibniz Institute of Prevention Research and Epidemiology, Bremen, Germany.
- Health Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
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Agudelo-Hernández F, Rojas-Andrade R, Giraldo Alvarez AB. Building an implementation strategy for community-based rehabilitation for mental health in Colombia. JBI Evid Implement 2024:02205615-990000000-00100. [PMID: 38742444 DOI: 10.1097/xeb.0000000000000431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Scientific evidence indicates that the community-based rehabilitation (CBR) model is recommended for recovery from mental disorders. However, this approach encounters barriers and often lacks implementation strategies. AIM The aim of this study is to create a strategy for the implementation of CBR for mental health in Colombia through the identification of barriers and facilitators, together with the expected outcomes, from the perspective of mental health decision-makers in Colombia. METHODS This study adopts a qualitative descriptive approach, using focus group data collection methods and thematic analysis to code and analyze the data. RESULTS A total of 208 individuals participated in the study, including mental health decision-makers and health care professionals. Intersectoral collaboration, contextualization, financial resources, and community commitment and autonomy were identified as barriers and facilitators. The element that was considered a priority for successful implementation was the contextualization of strategies. CONCLUSIONS CBR needs to be strengthened through implementation science if these strategies are to be successfully developed and implemented in various contexts. SPANISH ABSTRACT http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A210.
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Hiltensperger R, Ryan G, Ben-Dor IA, Charles A, Epple E, Kalha J, Korde P, Kotera Y, Mpango R, Moran G, Mueller-Stierlin AS, Nixdorf R, Ramesh M, Shamba D, Slade M, Puschner B, Nakku J. Implementation of peer support for people with severe mental health conditions in high-, middle- and low-income-countries: a theory of change approach. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:480. [PMID: 38637776 PMCID: PMC11027518 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10990-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stakeholder engagement is essential to the design, implementation and evaluation of complex mental health interventions like peer support. Theory of Change (ToC) is commonly used in global health research to help structure and promote stakeholder engagement throughout the project cycle. Stakeholder insights are especially important in the context of a multi-site trial, in which an intervention may need to be adapted for implementation across very different settings while maintaining fidelity to a core model. This paper describes the development of a ToC for a peer support intervention to be delivered to people with severe mental health conditions in five countries as part of the UPSIDES trial. METHODS One hundred thirty-four stakeholders from diverse backgrounds participated in a total of 17 workshops carried out at six UPSIDES implementing sites across high-, middle- and low-income settings (one site each in India, Israel, Uganda and Tanzania; two sites in Germany). The initial ToC maps created by stakeholders at each site were integrated into a cross-site ToC map, which was then revised to incorporate additional insights from the academic literature and updated iteratively through multiple rounds of feedback provided by the implementers. RESULTS The final ToC map divides the implementation of the UPSIDES peer support intervention into three main stages: preparation, implementation, and sustainability. The map also identifies three levels of actors involved in peer support: individuals (service users and peer support workers), organisations (and their staff members), and the public. In the UPSIDES trial, the ToC map proved especially helpful in characterising and distinguishing between (a) common features of peer support, (b) shared approaches to implementation and (c) informing adaptations to peer support or implementation to account for contextual differences. CONCLUSIONS UPSIDES is the first project to develop a multi-national ToC for a mental health peer support intervention. Stakeholder engagement in the ToC process helped to improve the cultural and contextual appropriateness of a complex intervention and ensure equivalence across sites for the purposes of a multi-site trial. It may serve as a blueprint for implementing similar interventions with a focus on recovery and social inclusion among people with mental ill-health across diverse settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN26008944 (Registration Date: 30/10/2019).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Grace Ryan
- Centre for Global Mental Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Inbar Adler Ben-Dor
- Department of Social Work, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Ashleigh Charles
- School of Health Sciences, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Ellen Epple
- Department of Psychiatry II, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jasmine Kalha
- Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Indian Law Society, Pune, India
| | - Palak Korde
- Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Indian Law Society, Pune, India
| | - Yasuhiro Kotera
- School of Health Sciences, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Richard Mpango
- Butabika National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Soroti University, Soroti, Uganda
| | - Galia Moran
- Department of Social Work, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | | | - Rebecca Nixdorf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mary Ramesh
- Department of Health Systems Impact Evaluation and Policy, Ifakara Health Institute, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Donat Shamba
- Department of Health Systems Impact Evaluation and Policy, Ifakara Health Institute, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Mike Slade
- School of Health Sciences, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Health and Community Participation Division, Nord University, Namsos, Norway
| | - Bernd Puschner
- Department of Psychiatry II, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Juliet Nakku
- Butabika National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
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Cooper RE, Saunders KRK, Greenburgh A, Shah P, Appleton R, Machin K, Jeynes T, Barnett P, Allan SM, Griffiths J, Stuart R, Mitchell L, Chipp B, Jeffreys S, Lloyd-Evans B, Simpson A, Johnson S. The effectiveness, implementation, and experiences of peer support approaches for mental health: a systematic umbrella review. BMC Med 2024; 22:72. [PMID: 38418998 PMCID: PMC10902990 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-024-03260-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Peer support for mental health is recommended across international policy guidance and provision. Our systematic umbrella review summarises evidence on the effectiveness, implementation, and experiences of paid peer support approaches for mental health. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, The Campbell Collaboration, and The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2012-2022) for reviews of paid peer support interventions for mental health. The AMSTAR2 assessed quality. Results were synthesised narratively, with implementation reported using the CFIR (Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research). The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42022362099). RESULTS We included 35 reviews (426 primary studies, n = 95-40,927 participants): systematic reviews with (n = 13) or without (n = 13) meta-analysis, or with qualitative synthesis (n = 3), scoping reviews (n = 6). Most reviews were low or critically low (97%) quality, one review was high quality. Effectiveness was investigated in 23 reviews. Results were mixed; there was some evidence from meta-analyses that peer support may improve depression symptoms (particularly perinatal depression), self-efficacy, and recovery. Factors promoting successful implementation, investigated in 9 reviews, included adequate training and supervision, a recovery-oriented workplace, strong leadership, and a supportive and trusting workplace culture with effective collaboration. Barriers included lack of time, resources and funding, and lack of recognised peer support worker (PSW) certification. Experiences of peer support were explored in 11 reviews, with 3 overarching themes: (i) what the PSW role can bring, including recovery and improved wellbeing for service users and PSWs; (ii) confusion over the PSW role, including role ambiguity and unclear boundaries; and (iii) organisational challenges and impact, including low pay, negative non-peer staff attitudes, and lack of support and training. CONCLUSIONS Peer support may be effective at improving some clinical outcomes, self-efficacy, and recovery. Certain populations, e.g. perinatal populations, may especially benefit from peer support. Potential strategies to successfully implement PSWs include co-production, clearly defined PSW roles, a receptive hierarchical structure and staff, appropriate PSW and staff training with clinical and/or peer supervision alongside safeguarding. Services could benefit from clear, coproduced, setting specific implementation guidelines for PSW. PSW roles tend to be poorly defined and associations between PSW intervention content and impacts need further investigation. Future research should reflect the priorities of providers/service users involved in peer support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth E Cooper
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Katherine R K Saunders
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Anna Greenburgh
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Prisha Shah
- MHPRU Lived Experience Working Group, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Appleton
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Karen Machin
- MHPRU Lived Experience Working Group, London, UK
| | - Tamar Jeynes
- MHPRU Lived Experience Working Group, London, UK
| | - Phoebe Barnett
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, UK
| | - Sophie M Allan
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Jessica Griffiths
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ruth Stuart
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Brynmor Lloyd-Evans
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alan Simpson
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, London, UK
| | - Sonia Johnson
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Ceccarelli C, Prina E, Alkasaby M, Cadorin C, Gandhi Y, Cristofalo D, Abujamei Y, Muneghina O, Barbui C, Jordans MJD, Purgato M. Implementation outcomes in psychosocial intervention studies for children and adolescents living in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2024; 107:102371. [PMID: 38118259 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial interventions play a key role in addressing mental health and substance use needs for children and adolescents living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While research efforts have primarily focused on their effectiveness, implementation outcomes also require examining. We conducted a systematic review of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies (PROSPERO: CRD42022335997) to synthesize the literature on implementation outcomes for psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents in LMICs. We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, Web of Science, PsychINFO, and Global Health through April 2023. Data were extracted and quality appraised through the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) independently by two reviewers. A total of 13,380 records were screened, and 87 studies met inclusion criteria. Feasibility was the most reported implementation outcome (69, 79%), followed by acceptability (60, 69%), and fidelity (32, 37%). Appropriateness was assessed in 11 studies (13%), implementation costs in 10 (11%), and sustainability in one (1%). None of the included studies reported on penetration or adoption. Despite a growing body of evidence for implementation research in child and adolescent global mental health, most research focused on earlier-stage implementation outcomes, assessing them in research-controlled settings. To overcome this, future efforts should focus on assessing interventions in routine care, assessing later-stage implementation outcomes through standardized tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Ceccarelli
- Global Program Expert Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, SOS Children's Villages, Milan, Italy.
| | - Eleonora Prina
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Muhammad Alkasaby
- Centre for Global Mental Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Camilla Cadorin
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Yashi Gandhi
- Addictions and related-Research Group, Sangath, Goa, India
| | - Doriana Cristofalo
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Yasser Abujamei
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Orso Muneghina
- Global Program Expert Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, SOS Children's Villages, Milan, Italy
| | - Corrado Barbui
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; Cochrane Global Mental Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Mark J D Jordans
- War Child, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; IoPPN, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Marianna Purgato
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; Cochrane Global Mental Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Jaramillo J, Harkness A. Supporting the helpers: what do peer deliverers of HIV interventions need to sustain their implementation efforts? Transl Behav Med 2023; 13:826-832. [PMID: 37368359 PMCID: PMC10631879 DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibad039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Peer-led HIV interventions are an increasingly common and low-cost strategy to address shortages of professionally trained health workers for implementing evidence-based HIV prevention and treatment interventions to populations who experience health disparities. There is a need to understand the experiences and unmet needs of this essential workforce responsible for implementing and delivering HIV interventions to ensure their implementation efforts are sustainable. This commentary provides a brief overview of barriers to peer deliverers' sustained engagement in the HIV workforce and potential implementation strategies to promote the sustainment of peer deliverers' implementation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jahn Jaramillo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Audrey Harkness
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33146, USA
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