This $233,335 National Institute of Mental Health project grant supports the adaptation and optimization of the Friendship Bench mental health intervention for adolescent girls and young women in South African HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery settings. The University of Washington will receive funding to support Dr. Jennifer Velloza's development as an independent researcher focused on improving mental health intervention delivery integrated with HIV prevention services for young...
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded a 4-year, $640,196 Project Grant under the Mental Health Research Grants (CFDA 93.242) program to The Johns Hopkins University to investigate suicide risk and protective factors among economically disadvantaged, preteen Black youth. The study aims to: 1) characterize the severity and course of suicide ideation and behaviors (SIB) during pre- and early adolescence in a sample of 1,000 Black youth; 2) identify individual, environmental, and...
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded a $1,300,224 Project Grant under the Mental Health Research Grants (CFDA 93.242) program to The Johns Hopkins University to conduct a study titled "HOMELINK2: Reducing Posthospitalization Mortality Among People Living with HIV Through Structured Home Care and Nutritional Supplementation." The project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based intervention involving structured post-hospitalization home visits with...
This Project Grant award of $197,035 from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) will fund a 5-year study to design and evaluate a community-based intervention to engage men who use alcohol and substances in HIV prevention services in rural South Africa. The primary objectives are to: 1) explore perceptions and preferences for HIV prevention services among men who frequent local bars (shebeens), 2) develop an intervention...
This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) provides $180,946 to develop and evaluate a stepped implementation approach for delivering problem-solving therapy to people living with HIV in South Africa. The key products and services to be delivered include: Determining stakeholder preferences for implementing problem-solving therapy through qualitative research with people living with HIV and HIV/mental...
This federal Project Grant award of $709,872 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) aims to develop and pilot test a couple-based intervention to address perinatal depression and improve adherence to prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV in Malawi. The key objectives are to: 1) develop a couple-based intervention using problem-solving therapy and content on couple...
This $1,488,935 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), under CFDA 93.361 Nursing Research, aims to develop and implement a technology-aided approach to safety planning that addresses social determinants of health - home safety and access to community mental healthcare - to decrease suicide risk in rural-residing youth ages 12-17 who present to emergency departments. The key products and services to be delivered under this 5-year award include: Conducting...
This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242), provides $661,237 over 5 years to The Ohio State University to conduct research on optimizing brief coping skills interventions for suicide prevention. The study aims to intensively characterize the contexts in which patients at high risk for suicide are most likely to use and benefit from their safety planning interventions, leveraging technology and...
This $244,814 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (CFDA 93.865 - Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research) will fund a mixed-methods research study to investigate the social and behavioral drivers of HIV risk among South African adolescent girls and young women (SA-AGYW). The primary objectives are to: 1) conduct secondary analyses of baseline data from an existing HIV prevention intervention to examine the roles of mental health...
This $715,041 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) will support research to understand real-world choices, preferences, and outcomes related to the roll-out of oral and long-acting injectable PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) among women in Malawi. The study, titled "Better Info on Women's PrEP Choices and Outcomes in Malawi", has three specific aims: 1) Evaluate longitudinal patterns of oral...
SUICIDE ASSESSMENT AND FEASIBLE EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS FOR YOUTH LIVING WITH HIV: SAFETY PLANNING - ABSTRACT ESTIMATES OF SUICIDAL IDEATION AND BEHAVIORS (SIBS) AMONGST ADOLESCENTS LIVING WITH HIV (ALWH) IN SUB- SAHARAN AFRICA (SSA) RANGE FROM 18-69%. DESPITE THIS SIGNIFICANT BURDEN, PREVENTION EFFORTS IN THE REGION ARE LAGGING DUE TO A MYRIAD OF STRUCTURAL AND SOCIO-CULTURAL BARRIERS. THIS NEED IS PARTICULARLY DIRE IN MALAWI, WHERE ESTIMATES OF SUICIDAL IDEATION AMONGST ALWH ARE HIGH, MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA IS PERVASIVE, SUICIDE ATTEMPTS ARE CRIMINALIZED, AND PSYCHIATRIC HUMAN RESOURCES ARE LIMITED. RESOURCE APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS THAT ALLOW FOR THE IDENTIFICATION, PREVENTION, AND MANAGEMENT OF SIBS AMONGST ALWH ARE URGENTLY NEEDED. THE FRIENDSHIP BENCH (FB) IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED COUNSELING INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO BE DELIVERED BY TRAINED, LAY HEALTH WORKERS. THE FB HAS PROVEN HIGHLY EFFECTIVE FOR ADDRESSING COMMON MOOD DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION, WHICH IS MAJOR DETERMINANT OF SUICIDALITY. FURTHER, THE FB HAS RECENTLY BEEN ADAPTED FOR ALWH IN MALAWI. ENHANCING FB WITH EVIDENCE-BASED SUICIDE PREVENTION ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS THE SAFETY PLANNING (SP) INTERVENTION, MAY BE A FEASIBLE AND EFFECTIVE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALWH WITH SIBS. SP AIMS TO REDUCE ACUTE SIBS THROUGH THE CO-CREATION OF COPING STRATEGIES WHICH CAN BE UTILIZED IN THE EVENT OF A SUICIDAL CRISIS TO AVERT ACUTE SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND MANAGE SUICIDAL URGES. AS FEW EVIDENCE-BASED SUICIDE PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN AFRICA, SP IS IDEAL FOR MALAWI, GIVEN IT HAS BEEN DELIVERED BY NON- PSYCHIATRIC SPECIALISTS IN THE REGION, AND CAN EASILY BE INCORPORATED INTO EXISTING SERVICES TO FULLY ADDRESS CHRONIC SIBS. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF OUR RESEARCH PROGRAM IS TO GENERATE AND IMPLEMENT AN EVIDENCE-BASED MODEL TO PREVENT SUICIDE IN MALAWI AMONGST ALWH THROUGH INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF THE HEALTH SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY SIBS AND PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED CARE AS WELL AS THROUGH ENHANCING THE CAPACITY OF RESEARCH AND POLICY MAKERS TO ENACT CHANGE. OUR SPECIFIC AIMS ARE: 1) TO ENHANCE THE FB MODEL WITH SP THAT IS ADAPTED TO MEET THE DEVELOPMENTAL AND CONTEXTUAL NEEDS OF ALWH IN MALAWI THROUGH FORMATIVE RESEARCH; 2) EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, FIDELITY, AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF THE ENHANCED FB+SP MODEL THROUGH A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL; AND 3) ENHANCE CAPACITY OF MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCHERS AND POLICY MAKERS TO ADVOCATE FOR LEGISLATIVE CHANGE THROUGH SYMPOSIUMS, WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS FOR MULTISECTORAL COLLABORATION. THE PROPOSED AIMS PAVE THE WAY FOR A R01 APPLICATION TO TEST THE ENHANCED FB+SP INTERVENTION IN A CLUSTER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL AND REPRESENT AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS PREVENTING SUICIDE AMONGST ALWH IN SSA.