A group of researchers from The University of Sheffield including HEDS’ Mark Clowes recently returned from a field trip to Gulu in northern Uganda.
The visit was arranged as part of the long-established Gulu-Sheffield Mental Health Partnership which aims to exchange expertise between academics and health professionals in the two countries, and to develop skills on both sides.
The current project, which is led by Dr Andrew Thompson (Psychology), and funded by a GCRF seedcorn grant, aims to develop low intensity, culturally appropriate psychological interventions for common mental health conditions, with an emphasis on sustainability and capacity building.
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| L to R: Dr Anyayo Lucas, Dr. Andrew Thompson, Sian Johnson, Mark Clowes, Dr. Veronica Barnsley and Dr. Mpamizo Emmanuel |
During a productive visit, the team (which also included Dr. Veronica Barnsley from the School of English, and Sian Johnson from Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust), were welcomed by the Uganda-UK Health Alliance, as well as by key players in government and non-governmental organisations; they also visited primary and secondary health care settings and held meetings with invited front-line staff to gain an understanding of the local context and specific challenges.
One of the first deliverables of the project will be a review of the existing literature around interventions for substance misuse in lower and middle income countries (due early 2020 and being led by Mark in collaboration with Dr Mpamizo Emmanuel (Gulu University) and Dr Anyayo Lucas (Lira University). Beyond this the team will use a collaborative approach to develop interventions targeting the widespread problem of alcohol misuse.