Intersectoral and multisectoral approaches to enable recovery for people with severe mental illness in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review
Project description:IntroductionThe construct of recovery was conceptualised in high-income countries and its applicability in low-income and middle- income countries is underexplored. A scoping review is proposed to synthesise knowledge, review conceptual overlap and map key elements of recovery from severe mental illness in low-income and middle-income countries. We aim to appraise the literature so as to inform future recovery-oriented services that consider the cultural and contextual influences on recovery from severe mental illness.Methods and analysisThe following electronic databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, SCOPUS (which included contents of Embase), PsycINFO, CINAHL, Africa-Wide Information, PsycARTICLES, Health source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Academic Search Premier and SocINDEX all via the EBSCOHOST platform, the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, the Cochrane Centre Register of Controlled Trials) and grey literature sources will be searched between May and December 2019. Eligible studies will be independently screened for inclusion and exclusion by two reviewers using a checklist developed for this purpose. Studies published between January 1993 and November 2019 that focus on recovery from severe mental illness in a low-income and middle-income country will be included. Findings will be compared and discrepancies will be discussed. Unresolved discrepancies will be referred to a third reviewer. All bibliographic data and study characteristics will be extracted and thematically analysed using a tool developed through an iterative process by the research team. Indicators will be classified according to a predefined conceptual framework and categorised and described using qualitative content analysis.Ethics and disseminationThe review aims to synthesise information from available publications, hence it does not require ethical approval. The results will be disseminated through publications, conference presentations and future workshops with stakeholders involved within the recovery paradigm of mental health policy and practice. The scoping review title is registered with the Joanna Briggs Institute.
Project description:BackgroundDespite being a global problem, little is known about the relationship between severe mental illness (SMI) and homelessness in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Homeless people with SMI are an especially vulnerable population and face myriad health and social problems. In LMICs, low rates of treatment for mental illness, as well as differing family support systems and cultural responses to mental illness, may affect the causes and consequences of homelessness in people with SMI.AimsTo conduct a systematic, scoping review addressing the question: what is known about the co-occurrence of homelessness and SMI among adults living in LMICs?MethodWe conducted an electronic search, a manual search and we consulted with experts. Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts, assessed publications for eligibility and appraised study quality.ResultsOf the 49 included publications, quality was generally low: they were characterised by poor or unclear methodology and reporting of results. A total of 7 publications presented the prevalence of SMI among homeless people; 12 presented the prevalence of homelessness among those with SMI. Only five publications described interventions for this population; only one included an evaluation component.ConclusionsEvidence shows an association between homelessness and SMI in LMICs, however there is little information on the complex relationship and direction of causality between the phenomena. Existing programmes should undergo rigorous evaluation to identify key aspects required for individuals to achieve sustainable recovery. Respect for human rights should be paramount when conducting research with this population.Declaration of interestNone.
Project description:ObjectiveTo examine the literature on how recovery of people with severe mental illness (SMI) is conceptualised in low/middle-income countries (LMICs), and in particular what factors are thought to facilitate recovery.DesignScoping review.Data sources and eligibilityWe searched 14 electronic databases, hand searched citations and consulted with experts during the period May-December 2019. Eligible studies were independently screened for inclusion and exclusion by two reviewers. Unresolved discrepancies were referred to a third reviewer.Data extraction and synthesisAll bibliographical data and study characteristics were extracted using a data charting form. Selected studies were analysed through a thematic analysis emerging from extracted data.ResultsThe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram offers a summary of the results: 4201 titles, 1530 abstracts and 109 full-text articles were screened. Ten articles were selected for inclusion: two from Turkey, two from India, and one each from China, Swaziland, Indonesia, Egypt, South Africa and Vietnam. Although most studies used qualitative methods, data collection and sampling methods were heterogeneous. One study reported on service provider perspectives while the rest provided perspectives from a combination of service users and caregivers. Three themes emerged from the data analysis. First, studies frame recovery as a personal journey occurring along a continuum. Second, there was an emphasis on social relationships as a facilitator of recovery. Third, spirituality emerged as both a facilitator and an indicator of recovery. These themes were not mutually exclusive and some overlap exists.ConclusionAlthough there were commonalities with how high-income countries describe recovery, we also found differences in conceptualisation. These differences in how recovery was understood reflect the importance of framing the personal recovery concept in relation to local needs and contextual issues found in LMICs. This review highlighted the current sparse evidence base and the need to better understand recovery from SMI in LMICs.
Project description:Typhoid fever is responsible for a substantial health burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). New means of prevention became available with the prequalification of typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCV) by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018. Policymakers require evidence to inform decisions about TCV. The economic burden related to typhoid fever can be considerable, both for healthcare providers and households, and should be accounted for in the decision-making process. We aimed to understand the breadth of the evidence on the cost of typhoid fever by undertaking a scoping review of the published literature. We searched scientific databases with terms referring to typhoid fever cost of illness to identify published studies for the period January 1st 2000 to May 24th 2024. We also conferred with stakeholders engaged in typhoid research to identify studies pending completion or publication. We identified 13 published studies reporting empirical data for 11 countries, most of them located in Asia. The total cost of a typhoid episode ranged from $23 in India to $884 in Indonesia (current 2022 United States Dollar [USD]). Household expenditures related to typhoid fever were characterized as catastrophic in 9 studies. We identified 5 studies pending completion or publication, which will provide evidence for 9 countries, most of them located in Africa. Alignment in study characteristics and methods would increase the usefulness of the evidence generated and facilitate cross-country and regional comparison. The gap in evidence across regions should be mitigated when studies undertaken in African countries are published. There remains a lack of evidence on the cost to treat typhoid in the context of increasing antimicrobial resistance. Decision-makers should consider the available evidence on the economic burden of typhoid, particularly as risk factors related to antimicrobial resistance and climate change increase typhoid risk. Additional studies should address typhoid illness costs, using standardized methods and accounting for the costs of antimicrobial resistance.
Project description:ObjectiveTo synthesise research published on vocational rehabilitation (VR) interventions offered in institutions, by occupational therapists, to mental health service users (MHSUs) with chronic mental illness, in low-income to upper-middle-income countries (L-UMIC).DesignThis scoping review used Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews and Joanna Briggs scoping review guidelines.Data sourcesWe searched PsycInfo, EBSCOhost, HINARI, Google Scholar, Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Science Direct and Wiley online library between 15 July and 31 August 2021.Eligibility criteriaSources, published in English between 2011 and 2021, on institution-based VR in occupational therapy for MHSUs who had chronic mental illness in L-UMIC were included. We included primary studies of any design.Data extraction and synthesisThree reviewers used Mendeley to manage identified references, Rayyan for abstract and full-text screening and Microsoft Excel for data extraction. Data were sifted and sorted by key categories and themes.Results895 sources were identified, and their title and abstracts reviewed. 207 sources were included for full-text screening. 12 articles from 4 countries (South Africa, India, Brazil and Kenya) were finally included. Types of VR intervention included supported employment, case management and prevocational skills training. Client centeredness, support and empowerment were the key VR principles identified. Teaching of illness self-management, job analysis and matching, job coaching, trial placement, and vocational guidance and counselling were the main intervention strategies reported.ConclusionsVR intervention in institutions for MHSUs in L-UMIC revealed the multidimensional uniqueness of individual MHSU's vocational ability, needs and contexts. The interventions allowed client-centred approaches that offer support and empowerment beyond the boundaries of the institutions. Occupational therapists offering VR need to expand their interventions beyond their institutions to contexts where MHSUs are working or intending to work.
Project description:IntroductionWork is integral to the occupations of human beings and accounts for up to a third of time spent in an average adult life. Occupational therapists play a role in vocational rehabilitation of mental health service users (MHSUs) with the aim of optimising their work participation. It is advisable that occupational therapists providing vocational rehabilitation to MHSUs with chronic mental illness in mental healthcare settings are guided by a practice framework developed for that particular context. This scoping review aims to summarise existing evidence on vocational rehabilitation for MHSUs in low-income to upper-middle-income countries. The findings will inform subsequent phases of research undertaken to formulate a vocational rehabilitation practice framework for MHSUs in Namibia.Methods and analysisThe scoping review will employ the five stage methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. This will be used in conjunction with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISM-ScR) and Joanna Briggs scoping review guidelines. MESH terms, Boolean operators and truncation strategies will be employed for a comprehensive article search in electronic scholarly databases. These databases will include PsycINFO, EBSCOhost, HINARI, Google scholar, Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Science Direct and Wiley Online Library. Mendeley and Rayyan, both open source platforms, will be used for title, abstract and full-text screening, as well as data extraction. Data will be sifted and sorted by key categories and themes using a data charting form.Ethics and disseminationThe scoping review findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at local and international conferences. Ethical clearance for this study will not be required as secondary data will be utilised and there are no patients involved.
Project description:Exposure to high levels of harmful agents in the workplace can significantly impact workers' health, contributing to morbidity and mortality. Levels of these exposures are often measured in high-income countries in research studies and, in some places, to monitor levels in line with health and safety regulations. However, less is known about workplace exposure levels in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Our aim was to describe the quantitative exposure measurements of different occupational agents across industries within LMICs. We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed publications available on Web of Science and PubMed from inception to 1 September 2023. Our search focused on quantitative occupational exposure measurements across industries in LMICs. We identified a total of 8,676 publications. After screening, 58 studies from 25 countries were retained for final review. China, Iran, and Tanzania contributed the greatest number of studies. Manufacturing, mining, and agriculture were the most studied sectors, with factory workers and miners being the most common job titles. Exposure measurements included vapour, gases, dust, and fumes (VGDF), solvents, metals, pesticides and particulate matter. Occupational exposure levels for the same industry varied widely across geographical regions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of occupational exposures in LMICs and highlights the absence of data in certain geographical areas and industries. The study contributes valuable insights for directing future research, and the need to optimise the assessment of occupational exposures in LMICs with the aim ultimately of reducing disease.
Project description:IntroductionThe private sector plays a substantial role in delivering and financing healthcare in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Supporting governments to govern the private sector effectively, and so improve outcomes across the health system, requires an understanding of the evidence base on private health sector governance. This paper reports on a scoping review, which synthesised evidence on the approaches used to govern private sector delivery and financing of healthcare in LMICs, the effectiveness of these approaches and the key enablers and barriers to strengthening governance.MethodsWe undertook a systematic search of databases of published articles and grey literature to identify eligible papers published since 2010, drawing on WHO's governance definition. Data were extracted into a pretested matrix and analysed using narrative synthesis, structured by WHO's six governance behaviours and an additional cross-cutting theme on capacities.Results107 studies were selected as relevant, covering 101 LMICs. Qualitative methods and document/literature review were predominant. The findings demonstrate the relevance of the WHO governance behaviours, but the lack of robust evidence for approaches to implementing them. Valuable insights from the literature include the need for a clear vision around governance aims; the importance of ensuring that policy dialogue processes are inclusive and transparent, avoiding interest group capture; the benefits of exploiting synergies between governance mechanisms; and the need to develop capacity to enact governance among both public and private actors.ConclusionGovernance choices shape not just the current health system, but also its future development. Common barriers to effective governance must be addressed in policy design, stakeholder engagement, public and private sector accountability, monitoring and capacity. Achieving this will require in-depth explorations of governance mechanisms and more rigorous documentation of implementation and outcomes in diverse contexts.
Project description:Objectives: Understanding treatment seeking for severe febrile illness (SFI) is methodologically challenging. In this scoping review, we investigate definitions of severe febrile illness in treatment seeking studies on children under 5 years of age in low and middle income countries. We analyze the association of SFI definitions with different concepts of treatment seeking and identify related research gaps. Methods: We searched Pubmed, Scopus and WHOLIS, and screened references of included publications for eligibility. Results: Definitions of SFI had either a biomedical perspective (predominantly in quantitative studies) or a caregiver perspective (predominantly in qualitative studies). In quantitative analyses of treatment seeking, severity was more often conceptualized as a determinant rather than an outcome of a treatment seeking process. The majority of quantitative analyses only included surviving children or did not explicitly mention dead children. Conclusion: Different research questions lead to diverse definitions and concepts of severity and treatment seeking outcomes, which limits the comparability of the available evidence. Systematic exclusion of dead children is likely to bias inferences on the association of treatment seeking and health outcomes of children with SFI in low and middle income countries.