224.694.01 INTERVENTION PROGRAMMING FOR MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH IN LOW AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES

Introduces students to mental illness symptoms and syndromes found across contexts and the variety of strategies used to treat such symptoms. Discusses mental health services as an integral part of global health program development. Addresses methods of adapting and developing interventions in low-resource countries and humanitarian contexts, as well as research designs used to evaluate these interventions. Challenges students to use critical and creative thinking skills throughout to discuss the issues involved in this relatively new field. Focuses on cross-cultural challenges in conducting mental health research in these settings. Topics covered include an overview of mental health issues in low-resource countries and humanitarian contexts; cross-cultural challenges; developing, modifying and disseminating prevention and intervention strategies; and the interplay between mental health and related topics such as nutrition, fitness and diabetes; HIV; substance abuse; and violence.

After successful completion of the course, students will be able to 1) discuss the issues unique to understanding mental health in low-resource contexts; 2) recognize the major mental health symptoms seen cross-culturally in adults and children; 3) illustrate ways that culture can affect mental health services; 4) recognize the issues and challenges inherent in strategies for prevention, intervention development and dissemination in low-resource countries; 5) describe the process of identification, adaptation and evaluation of mental health interventions in low-resource countries; and 6) critique past and current strategies in identifying, assessing, measuring and intervening with international mental health issues.