Enhancing mental health pre-service training with the WHO mhGAP Intervention Guide: experiences learned and the way forward

doi:10.1186/s13034-020-00354-2

Editorial

. 2021 Jan 11;15(1):1.

doi: 10.1186/s13034-020-00354-2.

Enhancing mental health pre-service training with the WHO mhGAP Intervention Guide: experiences learned and the way forward

Silje Akselberg Iversen¹, Brian Ogallo², Myron Belfer³, Daniel Fung^{4

5}, Christina W Hoven⁶, Kenneth Carswell², Norbert Skokauskas^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Center for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Protection, IPH, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. siljeaiver@gmail.com.
² Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁴ Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore.
⁵ The International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Profession, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁶ New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
⁷ Center for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Protection, IPH, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
⁸ The World Psychiatric Association, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Section, Geneva, Switzerland.

PMID: 33430893
PMCID: PMC7797878
DOI: 10.1186/s13034-020-00354-2

Editorial

Enhancing mental health pre-service training with the WHO mhGAP Intervention Guide: experiences learned and the way forward

Silje Akselberg Iversen et al. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2021.

. 2021 Jan 11;15(1):1.

doi: 10.1186/s13034-020-00354-2.

Authors

Silje Akselberg Iversen¹, Brian Ogallo², Myron Belfer³, Daniel Fung^{4

5}, Christina W Hoven⁶, Kenneth Carswell², Norbert Skokauskas^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Center for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Protection, IPH, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. siljeaiver@gmail.com.
² Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁴ Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore.
⁵ The International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Profession, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁶ New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
⁷ Center for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Protection, IPH, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
⁸ The World Psychiatric Association, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Section, Geneva, Switzerland.

PMID: 33430893
PMCID: PMC7797878
DOI: 10.1186/s13034-020-00354-2

Abstract

There is currently a high global demand for mental health professionals, including child and adolescent mental health professionals. In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) published "Enhancing mental health pre-service training with the mhGAP-Intervention Guide: experiences and lessons learned" to address the proposition of implementing Mental Health Gap Action Programme Intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG) materials and principles as a component of pre-service training. By integrating the mhGAP-IG within pre-service training, future healthcare providers will acquire theoretical knowledge and early exposure to practical knowledge and will be better prepared for their future work.Examples demonstrate that mhGAP-IG pre-service training can be successfully implemented in diverse settings and in various pre-service training programs. It can be used in small group learning activities and short courses, taught through lectures, used as a clinical tool to teach students (i.e. medical, nursing students) and medical doctors in training. We can enhance pre-service training with the mhGAP-IG and contribute to a learning environment, which nurtures knowledge and skills required to help people with mental health needs.

Keywords: Child and adolescent mental health; Child and adolescent mental health services; World Health Organization; mhGAP (Mental Health Gap Action Programme); mhGAP-IG (Mental Health Gap Action Programme Intervention Guide).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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References

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1. World Health Organization. About the World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/about. Accessed 5 Sept 2020.

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[1] Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network . Global burden of disease study 2016 (GBD 2016). Results. Seattle: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation; 2017.

[2] Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network . Global burden of disease study 2016 (GBD 2016). Results. Seattle: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation; 2017.

[3] Clausen CE, Bazaid K, Azeem MW, Abdelrahim F, Elgawad A, Alamiri B, AlAnsari AM, Alhamzawi A, Al Mai AM, Bakhiet AM, Bashtawi M, Çuhadaroğlu F, Hedar M, Holdar M, Jabr S, Jafri AS, Jumaian A, Moussa S, Osman AH, Razjouyan K, Yanes E, Guerrero A, Skokauskas N. Child and adolescent psychiatry training and services in the Middle East region: a current status assessment. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020;29(1):51–61. - PubMed

[4] Clausen CE, Bazaid K, Azeem MW, Abdelrahim F, Elgawad A, Alamiri B, AlAnsari AM, Alhamzawi A, Al Mai AM, Bakhiet AM, Bashtawi M, Çuhadaroğlu F, Hedar M, Holdar M, Jabr S, Jafri AS, Jumaian A, Moussa S, Osman AH, Razjouyan K, Yanes E, Guerrero A, Skokauskas N. Child and adolescent psychiatry training and services in the Middle East region: a current status assessment. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020;29(1):51–61. - PubMed

[5] Kumperscak H, Clausen C, Anagnostopoulos D, Barac Otasevic Z, Boricevic Marsanic V, Burgic M, Como A, Nussbaum L, Pejovic Milovancevic M, Raleva M, Sartorius N, Shahini M, Terziev D, Skokauskas N. Child and adolescent psychiatry training and mental health care in Southeast Europe. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020;29(1):29–39. - PubMed

[6] Kumperscak H, Clausen C, Anagnostopoulos D, Barac Otasevic Z, Boricevic Marsanic V, Burgic M, Como A, Nussbaum L, Pejovic Milovancevic M, Raleva M, Sartorius N, Shahini M, Terziev D, Skokauskas N. Child and adolescent psychiatry training and mental health care in Southeast Europe. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020;29(1):29–39. - PubMed

[7] Skokauskas N, Fung D, Flaherty LT, von Klitzing K, Pūras D, Servili C, Dua T, Falissard B, Vostanis P, Moyano MB, Feldman I, Clark C, Boričević V, Patton G, Leventhal B, Guerrero A. Shaping the future of child and adolescent psychiatry. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2019;11:19. - PMC - PubMed

[8] Skokauskas N, Fung D, Flaherty LT, von Klitzing K, Pūras D, Servili C, Dua T, Falissard B, Vostanis P, Moyano MB, Feldman I, Clark C, Boričević V, Patton G, Leventhal B, Guerrero A. Shaping the future of child and adolescent psychiatry. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2019;11:19. - PMC - PubMed

[9] World Health Organization. About the World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/about. Accessed 5 Sept 2020.

[10] World Health Organization. About the World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/about. Accessed 5 Sept 2020.

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Enhancing mental health pre-service training with the WHO mhGAP Intervention Guide: experiences learned and the way forward

Affiliations

Enhancing mental health pre-service training with the WHO mhGAP Intervention Guide: experiences learned and the way forward

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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