Social work interventions: mobilising community resources to support people experiencing mental distress in Sierra Leone

The effective mental health treatment gap in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) has been an important contributor to the rising global burden of disease, and a strong evidence base is rapidly building through numerous... [ view full abstract ]

The effective mental health treatment gap in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) has been an important contributor to the rising global burden of disease, and a strong evidence base is rapidly building through numerous epidemiological and interventional studies in resource-poor settings. The contribution of social work has not thus far had a high profile in this literature, partly due to doubts about the ‘global’ scope of social work, however it misses an important opportunity to facilitate participation, empowerment and social perspectives in the development of solutions for the mental health treatment gap.

In Sierra Leone, the mental health treatment gap exceeds 95%, with one trained psychiatrist and one psychiatric hospital for a population over six million. Emergency situations, such as the 2014 Ebola outbreak which has claimed the lives of more than 1300 Sierra Leoneans (as of 29th October, 2014), threatens to abate the provision of already limited mental health services, and care for mental distress has been seen as secondary to immediate public health concerns.

The Sababu Training Programme and Intervention Study evaluates how a locally co-produced social work intervention can help to meet the needs of people with mental distress in Sierra Leone. Collaboration with local stakeholders has been a foundation of the design and implementation of this study, ensuring there are roots in the local community thus enhancing long-term sustainability.

By identifying and addressing the challenges of resource-limited mental health care in Sierra Leone in the context of Ebola, this intervention provides specialised mental health nurses with training to strengthen their knowledge and skills of mobilising existing social networks and finding innovative ways to foster relationship development. This presentation will report on the development of the Sababu Model and Training Programme, providing examples of content and culturally appropriate activities, alongside results from implementation of the training programme.