Tackling Global Mental Health with USAID Partnership

In alignment with the University of Illinois’ commitment to global innovation and fostering international scholarship, three members of the School of Social Work—Benjamin Lough, Moses Okumu, and Tara Powell—collaborated with USAID’s Research Technical Assistance Center (RTAC) to address issues in global mental health. Their work resulted in a series of 11 evidence briefs and two publications aimed at informing and enhancing mental health programming worldwide.

The publications, titled “Global Mental Health Consultations: Insights for Policy and Programming” and “Global Mental Health Consultations: Policy and Programming Recommendations,” provide an in-depth analysis of the implications of applying mental health approaches and practices in diverse international contexts. They emphasize the need for integrating culturally tailored approaches with established scientific methods to effectively address the mental health needs of diverse populations.

Key insights include:

• Recognizing that mental health is not universally acknowledged in all communities, and that a strictly Western approach is too rigid for many populations. The publications advocate for incorporating community leaders and integrating mental health into primary health care and educational systems to reduce stigma and normalize mental health interventions.
• Offering tailored training for community members to effectively measure and evaluate mental health interventions specific to their contexts.
• Establishing a culturally sensitive database to document mental health terms and definitions across different countries, fostering better understanding and communication.
• Emphasizing the need for research into local conceptualizations of mental health to ensure that global programming is contextually appropriate and effective. These contributions highlight the University of Illinois’ School of Social Work’s dedication to addressing global mental health challenges with culturally informed and evidence-informed solutions, reinforcing the School’s mission to enhance lives locally and globally through leadership in learning, discovery, and engagement with community-based care systems.

Dean Ben Lough and Professor Tara Powell also participated in a USAID event in Washington DC, “Mental Health is Health: Redefining Mental Health in Foreign Assistance,” on June 26. The event featured a fireside chat between U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health Dr. Atul Gawande, discussing the prioritization of mental health by the U.S. government both domestically and internationally. Dr. Gawande also spoke with Carol Manyele from Grassroot Soccer about youth mental health. The event highlighted the launch of the USAID Mental Health Position Paper, which was informed by 11 evidence briefs and a summary and recommendations report led by Professors, Tara Powell, Ben Lough, and Moses Okumu from the School of Social Work.