Early intervention for common mental disorders in conflict-affected of Ethiopia
Traumatic experiences can cause anxiety and distress, but no evidence-based preventive interventions are readily available to victims in the aftermath of crises, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs). In conflict-affected areas, prevalence rates of mental health problems are apparent, especially affecting women & children. Tackling these problems is challenging, especially in resource-constrained countries like Ethiopia, where the mental health care system is scarce. A further lack of trained mental health professionals, stigmatization as well as poor cultural and religious understanding of such problems exacerbate the hidden burden of mental illness. Thus, the need for low-cost and scale-able solutions to mental health problems is evident. Despite considerable efforts to meet these major public health challenges, worrying levels of unmet mental healthcare needs are repeatedly seen in conflict-affected settings after mass trauma events. Serious deficiencies in existing practice are therefore indicated, yet knowledge-based evidence of well-functioning, sustainable psycho-social outreach programs is largely lacking, leaving local authorities at a loss as to how this should be resolved in practice. This pre-project aims to develop a collaborative project in partnership with higher institution/s & other stakeholders in Ethiopia & seek to address the mental health of vulnerable victims in conflict-affected settings in Ethiopia. The project aligns with the core of the Research Council’s Global Health strategy by addressing one of the major global health challenges: mental health problems caused by traumatic experiences in LLMICs. The pre-project will focus on knowledge exchange and the establishment of a fair and equitable collaborative partnership that helps to undertake need assessments to identify an innovative intervention that can be a preventive solution, i.e., effective, cost-efficient, and implementable at scale intervention.
