Putting Evidence into Practice: The PLoS Medicine Series on Global Mental Health Practice

The PLoS Medicine editors announce the launch of a new series on Global Mental Health Practice, and issue a call for papers

Responsible Governance for Mental Health Research in Low Resource Countries

Blurb: Taghi Yasamy and colleagues identify challenges facing good research governance in low- and middle-income countries and provide suggestions for a way forward

Responsible Governance for Mental Health Research in Low Resource Countries

Blurb: Taghi Yasamy and colleagues identify challenges facing good research governance in low- and middle-income countries and provide suggestions for a way forward

Challenges in Developing Evidence-Based Recommendations Using the GRADE Approach: The Case of Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders

Corrado Barbui and colleagues describe their use and adaptation of the GRADE approach in developing the guidelines for the WHO mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP)

Evidence-Based Guidelines for Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Summary of WHO Recommendations

Summary Points\u2022The treatment gap for mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders is more than 75% in many low- and middle-income countries.\u2022In order to reduce the gap, the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a model intervention guide within its Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP).\u2022The model intervention guide provides evidence-based recommendations developed with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology.\u2022This article presents the management recommendations for MNS disorders, with a link to the World Health Organization website where all the background material may be accessed.\u2022To our knowledge, this is a first exercise involving such an extensive and systematic evaluation of evidence in this area

A critical review of current classifications of depression

bstract: The difficulties of current classifications of depression can not be considered independent of the general complications of psychiatric classification. A tedious period of beated debate between the proponents of unitary vs pluralist views, and between the advocates of the categorical vs dimensional views didn’t prove fruitful. Current classifications share two main characteristics, i.e., they are "descriptive" and "categorical". Our review of evidence regarding the classification of depression indicates that these two peculiarities are the main causes of stagnation of validity. In general, current classificatory systems have failed to attain their proposed goals. Our suggestion is that the efforts of researchers should be directed toward two parallel approaches. One approach may be called "systemic-dimensional", which can in fact lead to a comprehensive and valid classificatory system, still far from reach. The other approach is practical and problem oriented which can help us build ad-hoc classification. The present nosological systems cannot endure, because they embody neither of the above mentioned approaches

Personality characteristics and severity of depression in Alopecia Areata patients

Abstract: The relationship between psychological factors and alopecia areata is already a controversial issue. Previous researches have mainly focused on the impact of stressors and occasionally the underlying psychiatric disorders. The relationship of personality with this disease has not been investigated. A group of alopecia areata patients (n=31) was compared with a control group (n=31) of age matched skin infection patients (Fungal, bacterial, viral and parasitic), applying the Iranian short form version of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Personality tests revealed no differences except a mild neurotic tendency in both alopecia areata and control women. This difference is interpreted to be accounted for by the aesthetic stressor of alopecia and not a primary personality characteristic. There was no significant difference between the groups on severity of depression. Keywords: Alopecia areata, Personality, Depressio

Birth spacing among married primary health workers (Behvarzes) in Kerman province in 1992

Abstract: Primary health workers (Behvarzes) have the responsibility of birth control education in rural areas. To evaluate the practice of Behvarzes in their own birth spacing, a questionnaire was prepared by the investigators and it was completed by married Behavarzes. The results were as follows: Of 437 Behvarzes 50.8% were females and 84 (19.2%) were couples. Mean age of Behvarzes was 29.4 and the mean duration of their employment was 7 years. The mean age of marriage was 20.2% among females and 18.6% years among the wives of the male Behvarzes. The mean age of first pregnancy was 21.4 and 19.3 years respectively, but the mean number of their children was 2. The mean of birth spacing among Behvarzes was 32 months. The mean interval between the last two pregnancies was 36.6 months in female Behvarzes, 34.8 among the wives of males, and 26.9 in the rural women. The medium of birth spacing of last two deliveries were 35.9, 32.8 and 21.7 respectively. Overall, parameters related to Behvarzes’ practice in fertility related behaviors, compared with rural women, though not completely acceptable, seem by and large satisfactory. Keywords: Birth spacing, Primary health workers (Behvarzes), Kerma

PRIME: a programme to reduce the treatment gap for mental disorders in five low- and middle-income countries

The majority of people living with mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries do not receive the treatment that they need. There is an emerging evidence base for cost-effective interventions, but little is known about how these interventions can be delivered in routine primary and maternal health care settings. The aim of the Programme for Improving Mental Health Care (PRIME) is to generate evidence on the implementation and scaling up of integrated packages of care for priority mental disorders in primary and maternal health care contexts in Ethiopia, India, Nepal, South Africa, and Uganda. PRIME is working initially in one district or sub-district in each country, and integrating mental health into primary care at three levels of the health system: the health care organisation, the health facility, and the community. The programme is utilising the UK Medical Research Council complex interventions framework and the “theory of change” approach, incorporating a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and impact of these packages. PRIME includes a strong emphasis on capacity building and the translation of research findings into policy and practice, with a view to reducing inequities and meeting the needs of vulnerable populations, particularly women and people living in poverty