Can mental health treatments help prevent or reduce intimate partner violence in low- and middle-income countries? A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological research suggests an interrelationship between mental health problems and the (re)occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV). However, little is known about the impact of mental health treatments on IPV victimization or perpetration, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). METHODS: We conducted a systematic review to identify prospective, controlled studies of mental health treatments in LMIC. We defined 'mental health treatment' as an intervention for individuals experiencing mental ill health (including substance misuse) including a substantial psychosocial or pharmacological component. Studies had to measure a mental health and IPV outcome. We searched across multi-disciplinary databases using a structured search strategy. Screening of title/abstracts and full-text eligibility assessments were conducted by two researchers independently, data were extracted using a piloted spreadsheet, and a narrative synthesis was generated. RESULTS: We identified seven studies reported in 11 papers conducted in five middle-income countries. With the exception of blinding, studies overall showed acceptable levels of risk of bias. Four of the seven studies focused on dedicated mental health treatments in various populations, including: common mental disorders in earthquake survivors; depression in primary care; alcohol misuse in men; and alcohol misuse in female adult sex workers. The dedicated mental health treatments targeting depression or alcohol misuse consistently reduced levels of these outcomes. The two studies targeting depression also reduced short-term IPV, but no IPV benefits were identified in the two alcohol-focused studies. The other three studies evaluated integrated interventions, in which a focus on substance misuse was part of efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS and violence against particularly vulnerable women. In contrast to the dedicated mental health interventions, the integrated interventions did not consistently reduce mental ill health or alcohol misuse compared to control conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Too few studies have been conducted to judge whether mental health treatments may provide a beneficial strategy to prevent or reduce IPV in LMIC. Key future research questions include: whether promising initial evidence on the effects of depression interventions on reducing IPV hold more broadly, the required intensity of mental health components in integrated interventions, and the identification of mechanisms of IPV that are amenable to mental health intervention.

Caregiver mental health and HIV-infected child wellness: perspectives from Ugandan caregivers.

Prior studies indicate a substantial link between maternal depression and early child health but give limited consideration to the direction of this relationship or the context in which it occurs. We sought to create a contextually informed conceptual framework of this relationship through semi-structured interviews with women that had lived experience of caring for an HIV-infected child while coping with depression and anxiety symptoms. Caregivers explained their role in raising healthy children as complex and complicated by poverty, stigma, and isolation. Caregivers discussed the effects of their own mental health on child well-being as primarily emotional and behavioral, and explained how looking after a child could bring distress, particularly when unable to provide desired care for sick children. Our findings suggest the need for investigation of the reciprocal effects of child sickness on caregiver wellness and for integrated programs that holistically address the needs of HIV-affected families.

Cost-effectiveness of psychological intervention within services for depression delivered by primary care workers in Nepal: economic evaluation of a randomized control trial.

Background: Integrating services for depression into primary care is key to reducing the treatment gap in low- and middle-income countries. We examined the value of providing the Healthy Activity Programme (HAP), a behavioral activation psychological intervention, within services for depression delivered by primary care workers in Chitwan, Nepal using data from the Programme for Improving Mental Health Care. Methods: People diagnosed with depression were randomized to receive either standard treatment (ST), comprised of psychoeducation, antidepressant medication, and home-based follow up, or standard treatment plus psychological intervention (T + P). We estimated incremental costs and health effects of T + P compared to ST, with quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and depression symptom scores over 12 months as health effects. Nonparametric uncertainty analysis provided confidence intervals around each incremental effectiveness ratio (ICER); results are presented in 2020 international dollars. Results: Sixty participants received ST and 60 received T + P. Implementation costs (ST = $329, T + P = $617) were substantially higher than service delivery costs (ST = $18.7, T + P = $22.4) per participant. ST and T + P participants accrued 46.5 and 49.4 QALYs, respectively. The ICERs for T + P relative to ST were $4422 per QALY gained (95% confidence interval: $2484 to $9550) - slightly above the highly cost-effective threshold - and -$53.21 (95% confidence interval: -$105.8 to -$30.2) per unit change on the Patient Health Questionnaire. Conclusion: Providing HAP within integrated depression services in Chitwan was cost-effective, if not highly cost-effective. Efforts to scale up integrated services in Nepal and similar contexts should consider including evidence-based psychological interventions as a part of cost-effective mental healthcare for depression.

Association of sleep characteristics with suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among adults aged 50 and older with depressive symptoms in low- and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVES: Investigate the association of sleep characteristics with suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among middle-aged and older adults with depressive symptoms in five low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: China, Ghana, India, Russia, and South Africa. PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged ≥50 years with depressive symptoms from the World Health Organization (WHO) Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (n=2,040). MEASUREMENTS: Predictors were self-reported average sleep duration for the past 2 nights (<7 hours (shorter), 7 to <9 hours (reference), ≥9 hours (longer)), sleep quality for the past 2 nights (moderate/good/very good [both nights], poor/very poor [≥1 night]), past-month insomnia symptoms (none/mild, moderate, severe/extreme), and past-day daytime sleepiness. Outcomes were past-year suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, household wealth, marital status, self-rated health, cognitive performance, number of depressive symptoms, and country of residence. RESULTS: Participants with poor/very poor sleep quality ≥1 night had greater odds of suicidal ideation (vs. moderate/good/very good sleep quality both nights). Participants with moderate and severe/extreme insomnia symptoms had greater odds of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt (vs. none/mild insomnia symptoms). In moderation analyses, greater insomnia symptoms were associated with higher odds of suicidal ideation among women only and those aged 60-60 years and ≥80 years only. CONCLUSIONS: Among middle-aged and older adults with depressive symptoms in LMICs, sleep characteristics are markers of-and potential contributors to-suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, and there was evidence of moderation by age and sex. Interventions aimed at preventing suicide-related outcomes in these populations should consider the role of sleep.

Household economic burden and outcomes of patients with schizophrenia after being unlocked and treated in rural China.

AIMS: Patients with severe mental disorders in low-resource settings have limited access to services, resulting in overwhelming caregiving burden for families. In extreme cases, this has led to the long-term restraining of patients in their homes. China underwent a nationwide initiative to unlock patients and provide continued treatment. This study aims to quantify household economic burden in families after unlocking and treatment, and to identify factors associated with increased burden due to schizophrenia. METHODS: A total of 264 subjects were enrolled from three geographically diverse provinces in 2012. Subjects were patients with schizophrenia who were previously put under restraints and had participated in the 'unlocking and treatment' intervention. The primary outcome was the current household economic burden, obtained from past year financial information collected through on-site interview. Patient disease characteristics, treatment, outcomes and family caregiving burden were collected as well. Univariate and multivariate linear regression were used to construct risk factor models for indirect economic burden. RESULTS: After participating in the intervention, 85% of patients continued to receive mental health services, 70% used medication as prescribed and 80% were never relocked. Family members reported significantly decreased caregiving burden after receiving the intervention. Mean direct and indirect household economic burdens were CNY963 (US$31.7) and CNY11 724 (US$1670) per year, respectively, while family total income was on average CNY12 108 (US$1913) per year. Greater disease severity and poorer patient psychosocial function at time of study were found to be independent factors related to increased indirect burden. CONCLUSIONS: The 'unlocking and treatment' intervention has improved the lives of patients and families. Indirect burden due to disease is still a major economic issue that needs to be addressed, potentially through improving treatment and patient functioning. Our findings contribute to the unravelling and eventual elimination of chronic restraining of mentally ill patients in low-resource settings.

The impact of Cognitive Processing Therapy on stigma among survivors of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: results from a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Sexual violence is associated with a multitude of poor physical, emotional, and social outcomes. Despite reports of stigma by sexual violence survivors, limited evidence exists on effective strategies to reduce stigma, particularly in conflict-affected settings. We sought to assess the effect of group Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) on stigma and the extent to which stigma might moderate the effectiveness of CPT in treating mental health problems among survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. METHODS: Data were drawn from 405 adult female survivors of sexual violence reporting mental distress and poor functioning in North and South Kivu. Women were recruited through organizations providing psychosocial support and then cluster randomized to group CPT or individual support. Women were assessed at baseline, the end of treatment, and again six months later. Assessors were masked to women's treatment assignment. Linear mixed-effect regression models were used to estimate (1) the effect of CPT on feelings of perceived and internalized (felt) stigma, and (2) whether felt stigma and discrimination (enacted stigma) moderated the effects of CPT on combined depression and anxiety symptoms, posttraumatic stress, and functional impairment. RESULTS: Participants receiving CPT experienced moderate reductions in felt stigma relative to those in individual support (Cohen's D = 0.44, p = value = 0.02) following the end of treatment, though this difference was no longer significant six-months later (Cohen's D = 0.45, p = value = 0.12). Neither felt nor enacted stigma significantly moderated the effect of CPT on mental health symptoms or functional impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Group cognitive-behavioral based therapies may be an effective stigma reduction tool for survivors of sexual violence. Experiences and perceptions of stigma did not hinder therapeutic effects of group psychotherapy on survivors' mental health. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01385163.

How is depression experienced around the world? A systematic review of qualitative literature.

To date global research on depression has used assessment tools based on research and clinical experience drawn from Western populations (i.e., in North American, European and Australian). There may be features of depression in non-Western populations which are not captured in current diagnostic criteria or measurement tools, as well as criteria for depression that are not relevant in other regions. We investigated this possibility through a systematic review of qualitative studies of depression worldwide. Nine online databases were searched for records that used qualitative methods to study depression. Initial searches were conducted between August 2012 and December 2012; an updated search was repeated in June of 2015 to include relevant literature published between December 30, 2012 and May 30, 2015. No date limits were set for inclusion of articles. A total of 16,130 records were identified and 138 met full inclusion criteria. Included studies were published between 1976 and 2015. These 138 studies represented data on 170 different study populations (some reported on multiple samples) and 77 different nationalities/ethnicities. Variation in results by geographical region, gender, and study context were examined to determine the consistency of descriptions across populations. Fisher's exact tests were used to compare frequencies of features across region, gender and context. Seven of the 15 features with the highest relative frequency form part of the DSM-5 diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). However, many of the other features with relatively high frequencies across the studies are associated features in the DSM, but are not prioritized as diagnostic criteria and therefore not included in standard instruments. The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria of problems with concentration and psychomotor agitation or slowing were infrequently mentioned. This research suggests that the DSM model and standard instruments currently based on the DSM may not adequately reflect the experience of depression at the worldwide or regional levels.

Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings: a public mental health perspective.

AIMS: To discuss the potential usefulness of a public health approach for 'mental health and psychosocial support' (MHPSS) interventions in humanitarian settings. METHODS: Building on public mental health terminology in accordance with recent literature on this topic and considering existing international consensus guidelines on MHPSS interventions in humanitarian settings, this paper reflects on the relevance of the language of promotion and prevention for supporting the rationale, design and evaluation of interventions, with a particular focus on populations affected by disasters and conflicts in low- and middle-income countries. RESULTS: A public mental health approach and associated terminology can form a useful framework in the design and evaluation of MHPSS interventions, and may contribute to reducing a divisive split between 'mental health' and 'psychosocial' practice in the humanitarian field. Many of the most commonly implemented MHPSS interventions in humanitarian settings can be described in terms of promotion and prevention terminology. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a common terminology across health, protection, education, nutrition and other relevant sectors providing humanitarian interventions has the potential to allow for integration of MHPSS activities in one overall framework, with diverse humanitarian practitioners working to achieve a common goal.

Adaptation of community health worker-delivered behavioral activation for torture survivors in Kurdistan, Iraq.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence supports the use of Western therapies for the treatment of depression, trauma, and stress delivered by community health workers (CHWs) in conflict-affected, resource-limited countries. A recent randomized controlled trial (Bolton et al. 2014a) supported the efficacy of two CHW-delivered interventions, cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and brief behavioral activation treatment for depression (BATD), for reducing depressive symptoms and functional impairment among torture survivors in the Kurdish region of Iraq. METHODS: This study describes the adaptation of the CHW-delivered BATD approach delivered in this trial (Bolton et al.2014a), informed by the Assessment-Decision-Administration-Production-Topical experts-Integration-Training-Testing (ADAPT-ITT) framework for intervention adaptation (Wingood & DiClemente, 2008). Cultural modifications, adaptations for low-literacy, and tailored training and supervision for non-specialist CHWs are presented, along with two clinical case examples to illustrate delivery of the adapted intervention in this setting. RESULTS: Eleven CHWs, a study psychiatrist, and the CHW clinical supervisor were trained in BATD. The adaptation process followed the ADAPT-ITT framework and was iterative with significant input from the on-site supervisor and CHWs. Modifications were made to fit Kurdish culture, including culturally relevant analogies, use of stickers for behavior monitoring, cultural modifications to behavioral contracts, and including telephone-delivered sessions to enhance feasibility. CONCLUSIONS: BATD was delivered by CHWs in a resource-poor, conflict-affected area in Kurdistan, Iraq, with some important modifications, including low-literacy adaptations, increased cultural relevancy of clinical materials, and tailored training and supervision for CHWs. Barriers to implementation, lessons learned, and recommendations for future efforts to adapt behavioral therapies for resource-limited, conflict-affected areas are discussed.

Executive function and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Ugandan children with perinatal HIV exposure.

BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in childhood and is associated with substantial deficits in executive functioning and lost academic and occupational attainment. This study evaluates symptoms of ADHD and their association with neurocognitive deficits in a cohort of rural Ugandan children who were born to HIV-infected mothers. METHODS: We assessed ADHD symptoms and executive function (including memory and attention) in a non-clinical sample of children born to HIV-infected mothers in rural eastern Uganda. Analyses included assessments of the psychometric properties, factor structure, and convergent and discriminant validity of the ADHD measure (ADHD-Rating Scale-IV); and executive function deficits in children meeting symptom criteria for ADHD. RESULTS: 232 children [54% female; mean age 7.8 years (s.d. 2.0)] were assessed for ADHD and executive function deficits. The ADHD measure showed good internal consistency (α = 0.85.) Confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable fit for the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) two-factor model. Subjects meeting DSM-5 symptom criteria for ADHD had worse parent-rated executive function on six out of seven subscales. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate structural validity of the ADHD measure with this population, strong associations between ADHD symptom severity and poorer executive function, and higher levels of executive function problems in perinatally HIV-exposed Ugandan children with ADHD. These findings suggest that ADHD may be an important neurocognitive disorder associated with executive function problems among children in sub-Saharan African settings where perinatal HIV exposure is common.

Nickel hypersensitivity in the orthodontic patient.

Nickel is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis and produces more allergic reactions than all other metals combined. Currently, several brands of orthodontic wires are made of nickel titanium alloy and potentially have a high enough nickel content to provoke manifestations of allergic reactions in the oral cavity. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine if standard orthodontic therapy can sensitize patients to nickel, and (2) to assess gingival response to nickel-containing orthodontic appliances in patients who are nickel sensitive before treatment. Nickel sensitivity patch tests were conducted to confirm hypersensitivity to nickel. Twenty-nine patients from the Division of Orthodontics, Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center were tested, ranging in age from 12 to 48 years. Of the 29 patients, there were 18 female and 11 males. Five of the patients had a positive nickel patch test, a rate of 18.5%. The five patients that tested positive were all female, meaning that the overall rate for females was 27.7% (5:18). The five female patients sensitive to nickel were followed monthly by intraoral photos and gingival and plaque index scores. The remaining patients began routine orthodontic therapy and were retested 3 months into treatment to see whether sensitization occurred. Two patients converted from an initial negative patch test to a positive test. There may be a risk of sensitizing patients to nickel with long-term exposure to nickel-containing appliances as occurs in routine orthodontic therapy.

What's being used at home: a household pesticide survey.

OBJECTIVE: Since very little is known about the health effects that household pesticides have on children, we conducted this survey to identify what pesticides are being used in the home, where they are being used and stored, and what methods are used for their disposal. METHODS: In the spring of 1999 we conducted a survey in a community in the state of Arizona, in the United States of America, on the border with Mexico. To be eligible to participate in the survey, households had to have used a pesticide in the 6 mo prior to the survey and to have at least one child under the age of 10 years. We gathered general information on pesticide usage, storage, and disposal, in addition to specific information about each of the pesticides currently being used and/or stored in the home. RESULTS: In the 107 households surveyed, we found 148 pesticide products, for a mean of 1.4 per household. Half of the pesticides were stored less than 4 feet (1.22 m) from the ground, at a level a child could reach. Seventy percent of all the pesticides were stored inside the home, with the kitchen being the storage room most often mentioned. The kitchen was also the room where most of the pesticides were used, with 69% of the respondents saying they had used at least one pesticide there. CONCLUSIONS: From our research we conclude that it will be important to continue to investigate all avenues of pesticide exposure in order to fully evaluate childhood exposures. Understanding household pesticide use and developing a model of exposure will help in this process. Profiles of the use, storage, and disposal of products will also guide the development of effective education and poison prevention programs in the community.