Child and adolescent mental health in South Africa

Flisher, Alan J.; Dawes, Andrew; Kafaar, Zuhayr; Lund, Crick; Sorsdahl, Katherine; Myers, Bronwyn; Thom, Rita; Seedat, Soraya

doi:10.2989/17280583.2012.735505

Cited by 94 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…This nding concurred with earlier research indicating that despite violence and injury-related morbidity being at the top of the list of disease burden in Africa, the eld remains under-researched [33]. In addition, there were no studies on mental health and substance abuse among children and adolescents; this is in spite of their correlation and burden in the continent [34,35]. In light of these ndings, we recommend that African universities broaden their research priorities in tandem with the change in disease burden taking place in Africa.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

CARTA Fellows’ Scientific Contribution to the African Public and Population Health Research Agenda (2011 to 2018)

Igumbor

Bosire

Basera

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract Background: Since its inception in 2009, the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) program has focused on strengthening the capacity of nine African universities and four research centres to produce skilled researchers and scholars able to improve public and population health on the continent. This study describes the alignment between CARTA-supported doctoral topics and publications with the priorities articulated by the African public and population health research agenda. Methods: We reviewed the output from CARTA PhD fellows between 2011 and 2018 to establish the volume and scope of the publications, and the degree to which the research focus coincided with the SDGs, World Bank, and African Development Bank research priority areas. We identified nine key priority areas into which the topics were classified.Results: In total, 140 CARTA fellows published 806 articles in peer-reviewed journals over the 8 years up to 2018. All the publications considered in this paper had authors affiliated with African universities, 90% of the publications had an African university first author and 41% of the papers have CARTA fellows as the first author. The publications are available in over 6300 online versions and have been cited in over 5500 other publications. About 69% of the published papers addressed the nine African public and population health research agenda and SDG priority areas. Infectious diseases topped the list of publications (26.8%), followed by the health system and policy research (17.6%), maternal and child health (14.7%), sexual and reproductive health (14.3%). Conclusions: Investments by CARTA in supporting doctoral studies provides fellows with sufficient training and skills to publish their research in fields of public and population health. The number of publications is understandably uneven across Africa’s public and population priority areas. Even while low in number, fellows are publishing in areas such as non-communicable disease, health financing, neglected tropical diseases and environmental health. Violence and injury is perhaps underrepresented. There is need to keep developing research capacity in partner institutions with low research output by training more PhDs in such institutions and by facilitating enabling environments for research.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

CARTA Fellows’ Scientific Contribution to the African Public and Population Health Research Agenda (2011 to 2018)

Igumbor

Bosire

Basera

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…Even though South Africa has a relatively well-developed AOD treatment system, comprising both residential and community-based outpatient services that offer a mix of evidence-based behavioural treatment approaches, less than 10% of poor women with AOD use disorders ever seek treatment, despite a high proportion desiring treatment (Myers, Kline, Doherty, Carney, & Wechsberg, 2014). Additionally, young women who use AODs rarely engage with other health services (Flisher et al, 2012; Luseno, Wechsberg, Kline, & Ellerson, 2010). While individual barriers to the uptake of these services have been identified (e.g., Myers et al, 2014), there is little understanding of how the risk environment of this marginalised population influences health service utilisation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Not on the agenda”: A qualitative study of influences on health services use among poor young women who use drugs in Cape Town, South Africa

Myers

Carney

Wechsberg

2016

International Journal of Drug Policy

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Background Poor young women who use alcohol and other drugs (AODs) in Cape Town, South Africa, need access to health services to prevent HIV. Efforts to link young women to services are hampered by limited information on what influences service initiation. We explored perceptions of factors that influence poor AOD-using young women’s use of health services. Methods We conducted four focus groups with young women (aged 16 to 21) who used AODs and were recruited from two township communities in Cape Town. We also conducted 14 in-depth interviews with health and social welfare service planners and providers. Discussion topics included young women’s use of health services and perceived influences on service use. Qualitative data were analysed using a framework approach. Results The findings highlighted structural, contextual, and systemic influences on the use of health services by young women who use AODs. First, young women were absent from the health agenda, which had an impact on the provision of women-specific services. Resource constraints and gender inequality were thought to contribute to this absence. Second, gender inequality and stigma toward young women who used AODs led to their social exclusion from education and employment opportunities and health care. Third, community poverty resulted in the emergence of perverse social capital and social disorder that limited social support for treatment. Fourth, the health care system was unresponsive to the multiple service needs of these young women. Conclusion To reach young women who use AODs, interventions need to take cognisance of young women’s risk environment and health systems need to adapt to respond better to their needs. For these interventions to be effective, gender must be placed on the policy agenda.

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“…Cortina and others () found teachers identified 41 per cent of children as having behavioural and emotional problems. More conservatively, Flisher and others () estimated the overall prevalence rate of psychiatric disorders at 17 per cent.…”

Section: Relevance Of Dsm Diagnoses To South African Children and Adomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, South Africa's levels of exposure to violence, maltreatment, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children are among the highest in the world (Dawes and others, ). According to Flisher and others (), although the real figure can only be guessed, there are more than 54 000 reported crimes against children annually. Sexual abuse makes up about half the figure.…”

Section: Risks Affecting the Mental Well‐being Of South African Childmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Long‐term consequences are poor educational outcomes, high rates of intergenerational poverty, and the continued cycle of women's disempowerment. HIV/AIDS in children result in cognitive impairment, developmental delay, attention problems, ‘serious mental illness’, and ‘common mental disorders’, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse (Flisher and others, ). Not only these afflicted children and adolescents but also many others may potentially be affected by DSM‐5 changes in psychiatric diagnoses.…”

Section: Risks Affecting the Mental Well‐being Of South African Childmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Social Constructivist Perspective on the Potential Relevance of Selected DSM‐5 Disorders for South African Children and Youth

Kriegler

2014

Children & Society

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In South Africa, careless implementation of child psychiatry"s biomedical model of "mental disorder" could stigmatise children and youth who have been made vulnerable by the lingering effects of apartheid -poverty and malnutrition, violence and abuse, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. A focus on DSM-5 category changes -regarding posttraumatic stress disorder and ADHD -demonstrates that these psychiatric labels are impracticable and irrelevant in a post-colonial developing country where mental health care is delivered in the context of scarce services and unequal access. A social constructivist perspective enables us to broaden policy decisions and suggest directions for research.

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Child and adolescent mental health in South Africa

Cited by 94 publications

References 37 publications

CARTA Fellows’ Scientific Contribution to the African Public and Population Health Research Agenda (2011 to 2018)

CARTA Fellows’ Scientific Contribution to the African Public and Population Health Research Agenda (2011 to 2018)

“Not on the agenda”: A qualitative study of influences on health services use among poor young women who use drugs in Cape Town, South Africa

A Social Constructivist Perspective on the Potential Relevance of Selected DSM‐5 Disorders for South African Children and Youth

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