Mental Health

Randomised clinical trial of community-based peer-led and psychologist-led group treatment for hoarding disorder

BJPsych Open. 2018 Jul 20;4(4):285-293. doi: 10.1192/bjo.2018.30. eCollection 2018 Jul. [Full Text Article]

Mathews CA, Mackin RS, Chou CY, Uhm SY, Bain LD, Stark SJ, Gause M, Vigil OR, Franklin J, Salazar M, Plumadore J, Smith LC, Komaiko K, Howell G, Vega E, Chan J, Eckfield MB, Tsoh JY, Delucchi K

Background
Treatment for hoarding disorder is typically performed by mental health professionals, potentially limiting access to care in underserved areas.

Aims
We aimed to conduct a non-inferiority trial of group peer-facilitated therapy (G-PFT) and group psychologist-led cognitive–behavioural therapy (G-CBT).

Method
We randomised 323 adults with hording disorder 15 weeks of G-PFT or 16 weeks of G-CBT and assessed at baseline, post-treatment and longitudinally (≥3 months post-treatment: mean 14.4 months, range 3–25). Predictors of treatment response were examined.

Results
G-PFT (effect size 1.20) was as effective as G-CBT (effect size 1.21; between-group…

The experiences of lay health workers trained in task-shifting psychological interventions: a qualitative systematic review

Int J Ment Health Syst. 2019 Oct 14;13:64. doi: 10.1186/s13033-019-0320-9. eCollection 2019. [Pubmed Abstract]

Shahmalak U, Blakemore A, Waheed MW, Waheed W

Introduction
The prevalence of common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, is high and the demand for psychological interventions and talking therapies is increasing. In order to meet this need, it is necessary to explore alternative methods to deliver talking therapies. Training lay health workers (LHWs) to deliver psychological interventions might be one possible solution to address current gaps in service provision. A number of studies have successfully used this approach to deliver psychological interventions in order to meet the demand for mental health care. Despite increased interest in this area, the evidence has not been synthesised or systematically reviewed.

Methods
Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBBASE, PsycINFO and CINHAL) were systematically searched to specifically capture studies on…

Delivering maternal mental health through peer volunteers: a 5-year report

Int J Ment Health Syst. 2019 Sep 17;13:62. [Pubmed Abstract]

Atif N, Bibi A, Nisar A, Zulfiqar S, Ahmed I, LeMasters K, Hagaman A, Sikander S, Maselko J, Rahman A

Background
Maternal depression affects one in five women in low-and middle income countries (LMIC) and has significant economic and social impacts. Evidence-based psychosocial interventions delivered by non-specialist health workers are recommended as first-line management of the condition, and recent studies on such interventions from LMIC show promising results. However, lack of human resource to deliver the interventions is a major bottle-neck to scale-up, and much research attention has been devoted to ‘task-sharing’ initiatives. A peer-delivered version of the World Health Organization’s Thinking Healthy Programme for perinatal depression in Pakistan and India showed clinical, functional and social benefits to women at 3 months postpartum. The programme has been iteratively adapted and continually delivered for…