When you need to know quickly: the efficiency and versatility of focus groups for NGOs in conflict and post conflict settings

Focus groups (specially structured small group interviews) have gained widespread popularity among researchers and nongovernmental organisation (NGO) staff concerned with developing contextually grounded assessment tools. Focus groups are easy to design and implement, and are extremely efficient in their capacity to gather useful information quickly and inexpensively.

Using focus group methodology to adapt measurement scales and explore questions of wellbeing and mental health: the case of Sri Lanka

Context affects research validity. Therefore, in order to reduce any uncertainty about their findings, cross-cultural researchers should use appropriate methodological techniques. Using focus groups to evaluate the quality of standard measures is one such technique. This paper highlights a study composed of six focus groups that was conducted at the Medical Faculty of the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, with the purpose of assessinge quivalence of measures of wellbeing and mental health. Each focus group consisted of three males and three females (age range 35-62).

Mental health among opiate users in Kabul: a pilot study from the Medecins du Monde Harm Reduction Programme

The number of injecting opiate users in Afghanistan has recently risen dramatically. Through this crosssectional pilot study, the authors have aimed to assess psychiatric comorbidity and drug use patterns among Afghan opiate users, which might have implications for harm reduction and treatment interventions. The authors conducted semi-structured psychiatric interviews, with a convenience sample of 30 clients of the Médecins du Monde drop-in centre in Kabul. Symptoms were classified according to the WHO International Classification of Diseases, Revision 10.

Community Systems Strengthening in Afghanistan: a way to reduce domestic violence and to reinforce women’s agency

In Afghanistan, a burden of poor mental health exists within the contexts of ongoing poverty, social inequality, and persistent violence. Although women in Afghanistan share the same problems as most women in developing countries, many elements of the inequalities that Afghan women experience are extreme, and the context in which these women live is exceptional. Addressing these contextual factors, in order to discover culturally acceptable and feasible solutions to these problems, poses major challenges and asks for a multi-sectoral approach.

Engaging war affected youth through photography: Photovoice with former child soldiers in Sierra Leone

Photovoice is a community based participatory research method that combines photography, community awareness building, group discussions, and social action. Photovoice seeks to enable both individuals and groups, particularly those facing marginalisation and disempowerment, to record and re£ect on community strengths and challenges, through photography. This paper presents a Photo voice project, conducted with a group of former child soldiers living in urban Sierra Leone, exploring their post war lives and reintegration experiences.

Developing a responsive model of staff care beyond individual stress management: a case study

This field report offers some examples of donor related, and management induced, stress among local humanitarian staff in northern Sri Lanka. These examples were identified during staff care interventions held with a dozen nongovernmental organisations in the region. In this report, the authors discuss approaches to staff care. They conclude that individual, stress management focussed training does not adequately answer the needs of staff members (partially) burdened by unnecessary, work related stress.

How to convey the new World Health Organization mental health Intervention: guide to workers in the field?

In order to increase access to mental health services in low and middle income countries, the World Health Organization has developed the mental health Gap Action Plan Intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG). This practical guide aims to assist non-specialised health workers in making clinical decisions for people with mental, neurological and substance use disorders. It is now a major challenge to get this guide implemented in all corners of the world. Therefore, this article provides an overview of different ways to convey the content of the guide to potential users.

An innovative approach to integrating mental health into health systems: strengthening activities in Somaliland

Somaliland, in the Horn of Africa, declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but is yet to be internationally recognised as a sovereign state. The region has a significantly weak health sector, with poor service provision and scarce human resources for mental health, despite huge mental health need. Therefore, mental health care has been incorporated into an international health link (long term, mutually beneficial partnerships) between Kings College London and institutions in Somaliland, known as KTSP (Kings THET Somaliland Partnership).

Participatory evaluation of psychosocial interventions for children: a pilot study in Northern Uganda

In the past decade, evidence-based practice has led to a more critical approach towards professional practice in the humanitarian working field. Many agencies have increased their capacity and resources to research intervention effectiveness and programme impact. When evaluating psychosocial interventions, practitioners and researchers are often not only interested in intervention outcomes, but also in the external factors that influence effectiveness, the intervention process and the views of its beneficiaries.

An examination of methods to reintegrate former child soldiers in Liberia

A major feature of the Liberian conflict was the extensive use of children as soldiers. In 2003, by the end of the conflict, thousands of former child soldiers were in need of urgent economic empowerment, and social and psychological support. This paper examines the various methods employed inproviding support for these children by the relevant stakeholders. The study was carried out through field research, conducted in Liberia, which involved direct observation, interviews with various stakeholders and questionnaires administered to former child soldiers.

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