Dr LAURA ASHER

Effects of community-based rehabilitation on caregivers of people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia in the RISE trial (2025)
Journal Article
Dijkstra, L., Weiss, H., Birhane, R., Medhin, G., de Silva, M., Hanlon, C., Fekadu, A., & Asher, L. (2025). Effects of community-based rehabilitation on caregivers of people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia in the RISE trial. BMC Psychiatry, 25, Article 231. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06651-4

Background:

Schizophrenia is a severe mental health condition with high impact on those affected and their families. Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is a recommended treatment component for schizophrenia in low- and middle-income countries (... Read More about Effects of community-based rehabilitation on caregivers of people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia in the RISE trial.

Sexual and reproductive health needs of women with severe mental illness in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review (2025)
Journal Article
Sisodia, S., Hammond, Z., Leonardi-Bee, J., Hanlon, C., & Asher, L. (2025). Sexual and reproductive health needs of women with severe mental illness in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review. PLoS ONE, 20(1), Article e0311554. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311554

Background

This scoping review aimed to understand the extent and type of evidence in relation to sexual and reproductive health needs of women with severe mental illness (SMI) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and to summarise those nee... Read More about Sexual and reproductive health needs of women with severe mental illness in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review.

Mental health and violence against women in Afghanistan, India, and Sri Lanka: a situation analysis (2025)
Journal Article
Quinlan-Davidson, M., Ahmad, A., ASHER, L., Bhatia, U., Daruwalla, N., Devakumar, D., Nadkarni, A., Palfreyman, A., Saboor, L., Samanmalee, R., & Osrin, D. (in press). Mental health and violence against women in Afghanistan, India, and Sri Lanka: a situation analysis. F1000Research,

Background.

Globally, 10-53% of ever-partnered women have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence over their lifetime. Women survivors of violence are at high risk of poor mental health. In this study, we investigate women’s expo... Read More about Mental health and violence against women in Afghanistan, India, and Sri Lanka: a situation analysis.

Developing peer-led recovery groups (PRIZE) for people with psychosis and their caregivers in a low resource South African setting (2024)
Journal Article
Brooke-Sumner, C., Repper, J., Petersen, I., Hanlon, C., Myers, B., Faris, G., Rapiya, B., & Asher, L. (2024). Developing peer-led recovery groups (PRIZE) for people with psychosis and their caregivers in a low resource South African setting. SSM - Mental Health, 6, Article 100370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2024.100370

Aim
In South Africa and other low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), personal recovery for people with a severe mental health condition (SMHC) is hampered by lack of community-based support. This paper describes the development of a non-specialist... Read More about Developing peer-led recovery groups (PRIZE) for people with psychosis and their caregivers in a low resource South African setting.

Peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in South Africa (PRIZE): results of a randomized controlled feasibility trial (2024)
Journal Article
Asher, L., Brooke-Sumner, C., Rapiya, B., Repper, J., Reddy, T., Myers-Franchi, B., Faris, G., Petersen, I., & Hanlon, C. (2024). Peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in South Africa (PRIZE): results of a randomized controlled feasibility trial. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 33, Article e47. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796024000556

Aims
The aims of this feasibility trial were to assess the acceptability and feasibility of peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in a low-resource South African setting, to assess the feasibility of trial methods, and to determine key... Read More about Peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in South Africa (PRIZE): results of a randomized controlled feasibility trial.

Peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in South Africa (PRIZE): results of a randomized controlled feasibility trial (2024)
Journal Article
Asher, L., Rapiya, B., Repper, J., Reddy, T., Myers-Franchi, B., Faris, G., Petersen, I., Hanlon, C., & Brooke-Sumner, C. (2024). Peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in South Africa (PRIZE): results of a randomized controlled feasibility trial. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 33, Article e47. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796024000556

Aims
The aims of this feasibility trial were to assess the acceptability and feasibility of peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in a low-resource South African setting, to assess the feasibility of trial methods, and to determine key... Read More about Peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in South Africa (PRIZE): results of a randomized controlled feasibility trial.

Cross-Cultural Insights from Two Global Mental Health Studies: Self-Enhancement and Ingroup Biases (2024)
Journal Article
Kotera, Y., Ronaldson, A., Hayes, D., Hunter-Brown, H., McPhilbin, M., Dunnett, D., Jebara, T., Takhi, S., Masuda, T., Camacho, E., Bakolis, I., Repper, J., Meddings, S., Stergiopoulos, V., Brophy, L., De Ruysscher, C., Okoliyski, M., Kubinová, P., Eplov, L., Toernes, C., …Slade, M. (2024). Cross-Cultural Insights from Two Global Mental Health Studies: Self-Enhancement and Ingroup Biases. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-024-01307-y

This commentary highlights two cross-cultural issues identified from our global mental health (GMH) research, RECOLLECT (Recovery Colleges Characterisation and Testing) 2: self-enhancement and ingroup biases. Self-enhancement is a tendency to maintai... Read More about Cross-Cultural Insights from Two Global Mental Health Studies: Self-Enhancement and Ingroup Biases.

COVID-19 experience of people with severe mental health conditions and families in South Africa (2024)
Journal Article
Brooke-Sumner, C., Rapiya, B., Myers, B., Petersen, I., Hanlon, C., Repper, J., & Asher, L. (2024). COVID-19 experience of people with severe mental health conditions and families in South Africa. South African Journal of Psychiatry, 30, Article a2207. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v30i0.2207

Background: People with severe mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, and their family caregivers are underserved in low- and middle-income countries where structured psychosocial support in the community is often lacking. This can present... Read More about COVID-19 experience of people with severe mental health conditions and families in South Africa.

Community-based rehabilitation intervention for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia (RISE) cluster-randomised controlled trial: An exploratory analysis of impact on food insecurity, underweight, alcohol use disorder and depressive symptoms (2023)
Journal Article
Asher, L., Birhane, R., Weiss, H., Medhin, G., Selamu, M., Patel, V., de Silva, M., Hanlon, C., & Fekadu, A. (2023). Community-based rehabilitation intervention for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia (RISE) cluster-randomised controlled trial: An exploratory analysis of impact on food insecurity, underweight, alcohol use disorder and depressive symptoms. Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health, 10, Article E70. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2023.67

We evaluated the effectiveness of community-based rehabilitation (CBR) in reducing depressive symptoms, alcohol use disorder, food insecurity and underweight in people with schizophrenia. This cluster-randomised controlled trial was conducted in a ru... Read More about Community-based rehabilitation intervention for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia (RISE) cluster-randomised controlled trial: An exploratory analysis of impact on food insecurity, underweight, alcohol use disorder and depressive symptoms.

Peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in South Africa (PRIZE): protocol for a randomized controlled feasibility trial (2023)
Journal Article
Asher, L., Rapiya, B., Repper, J., Reddy, T., Myers, B., Hanlon, C., Petersen, I., & Brooke-Sumner, C. (2023). Peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in South Africa (PRIZE): protocol for a randomized controlled feasibility trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 9, Article 19

Background

The available care for people with psychosis in South Africa is inadequate to support personal recovery. Group peer support interventions are a promising approach to foster recovery, but little is known about the preferences of service... Read More about Peer-led recovery groups for people with psychosis in South Africa (PRIZE): protocol for a randomized controlled feasibility trial.

Mental health systems in six Caribbean small island developing states: a comparative situational analysis (2022)
Journal Article
Walker, I. F., Asher, L., Pari, A., Attride-Stirling, J., Oyinloye, A. O., Simmons, C., Potter, I., Rubaine, V., Samuel, J. M., Andrewin, A., Flynn, J., McGill, A. L., Greenaway-Duberry, S., Malcom, A. B., Mann, G., Razavi, A., & Gibson, R. C. (2022). Mental health systems in six Caribbean small island developing states: a comparative situational analysis. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 16, Article 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-022-00552-9

Background: Small island developing states (SIDS) have particular mental health system needs due to their remoteness and narrow resource base. We conducted situational analyses to support mental health system strengthening in six SIDS: Anguilla, Berm... Read More about Mental health systems in six Caribbean small island developing states: a comparative situational analysis.

Community-based rehabilitation intervention for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia (RISE): results of a 12-month cluster-randomised controlled trial (2022)
Journal Article
Asher, L., Birhane, R., Weiss, H. A., Medhin, G., Selamu, M., Patel, V., De Silva, M., Hanlon, C., & Fekadu, A. (2022). Community-based rehabilitation intervention for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia (RISE): results of a 12-month cluster-randomised controlled trial. Lancet Global Health, 10(4), e530-e542. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X%2822%2900027-4

Background: Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is recommended to address the social and clinical needs of people with schizophrenia in resource-poor settings. We evaluated the effectiveness of CBR at reducing disability at 12 months in people with... Read More about Community-based rehabilitation intervention for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia (RISE): results of a 12-month cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Improving the mental health of women intimate partner violence survivors: Findings from a realist review of psychosocial interventions (2022)
Journal Article
Paphitis, S. A., Bentley, A., Asher, L., Osrin, D., & Oram, S. (2022). Improving the mental health of women intimate partner violence survivors: Findings from a realist review of psychosocial interventions. PLoS ONE, 17(3), Article e0264845. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264845

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is highly prevalent and is associated with a range of mental health problems. A broad range of psychosocial interventions have been developed to support the recovery of women survivors of IPV, but their mech... Read More about Improving the mental health of women intimate partner violence survivors: Findings from a realist review of psychosocial interventions.

"Medical treatments are also part of God’s gift”: Holy water attendants’ perspectives on a collaboration between spiritual and psychiatric treatment for mental illness in Ethiopia (2021)
Journal Article
Asher, L., Birhanu, R., Baheretibeb, Y., & Fekadu, A. (2021). "Medical treatments are also part of God’s gift”: Holy water attendants’ perspectives on a collaboration between spiritual and psychiatric treatment for mental illness in Ethiopia. Transcultural Psychiatry, 58(4), 585-599. https://doi.org/10.1177/13634615211015082

Introduction: In Ethiopia, traditional and spiritual treatments, such as holy water, are used by people with mental disorders instead of, or alongside, psychiatric services. Collaborations between traditional and psychiatric providers may increase ac... Read More about "Medical treatments are also part of God’s gift”: Holy water attendants’ perspectives on a collaboration between spiritual and psychiatric treatment for mental illness in Ethiopia.

“Like a doctor, like a brother”: achieving competence amongst lay health workers delivering community-based rehabilitation for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia (2021)
Journal Article
Asher, L., Birhane, R., Teferra, S., Milkias, B., Worku, B., Habtamu, A., Kohrt, B. A., & Hanlon, C. (2021). “Like a doctor, like a brother”: achieving competence amongst lay health workers delivering community-based rehabilitation for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia. PLoS ONE, 16(2), Article e0246158. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246158

Background
There are gaps in our understanding of how non-specialists, such as lay health workers, can achieve core competencies to deliver psychosocial interventions in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods
We conducted a 12-month mixed-met... Read More about “Like a doctor, like a brother”: achieving competence amongst lay health workers delivering community-based rehabilitation for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia.

The psychosis treatment gap and its consequences in rural Ethiopia (2019)
Journal Article
Fekadu, A., Medhin, G., Lund, C., DeSilva, M., Selamu, M., Alem, A., Asher, L., Birhane, R., Patel, V., Hailemariam, M., Shibre, T., Thornicroft, G., Prince, M., & Hanlon, C. (2019). The psychosis treatment gap and its consequences in rural Ethiopia. BMC Psychiatry, 19, Article 325. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2281-6

Background
The “treatment gap” (TG) for mental disorders, widely advocated by the WHO in low-and middle-income countries, is an important indicator of the extent to which a health system fails to meet the care needs of people with mental disorder at... Read More about The psychosis treatment gap and its consequences in rural Ethiopia.

Impact of integrated district level mental health care on clinical and social outcomes of people with severe mental illness in rural Ethiopia: an intervention cohort study (2019)
Journal Article
Hanlon, C., Medhin, G., Selamu, M., Birhane, R., Dewey, M., Tirfessa, K., Garman, E., Asher, L., Thornicroft, G., Patel, V., Lund, C., Prince, M., & Fekadu, A. (2019). Impact of integrated district level mental health care on clinical and social outcomes of people with severe mental illness in rural Ethiopia: an intervention cohort study. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 29, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796019000398

Aim
There is limited evidence of the safety and impact of task-shared care for people with severe mental illnesses (SMI; psychotic disorders and bipolar disorder) in low-income countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and impact o... Read More about Impact of integrated district level mental health care on clinical and social outcomes of people with severe mental illness in rural Ethiopia: an intervention cohort study.

Involvement of people with schizophrenia in decision-making in rural Ethiopia: a qualitative study (2018)
Journal Article
Souraya, S., Hanlon, C., & Asher, L. (2018). Involvement of people with schizophrenia in decision-making in rural Ethiopia: a qualitative study. Globalization and Health, 14, Article 85. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-018-0403-4

Background:The involvement of people with psychosocial disabilities in decision-making is a fundamental component of a person-centred and recovery-oriented model of care, but there has been little investigation of this approach in low- and middle-inc... Read More about Involvement of people with schizophrenia in decision-making in rural Ethiopia: a qualitative study.

The Effects of Tobacco Smoking, and Prenatal Tobacco Smoke Exposure, on Risk of Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2018)
Journal Article
Hunter, A., Murray, R., Asher, L., & Leonardi-Bee, J. (2018). The Effects of Tobacco Smoking, and Prenatal Tobacco Smoke Exposure, on Risk of Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 22(1), 3-10. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/nty160

Introduction: The association between cigarette smoking and schizophrenia is well established. However, up to 90% of people with schizophrenia begin smoking before the onset of their illness, thus smoking could be an independent risk factor for schiz... Read More about The Effects of Tobacco Smoking, and Prenatal Tobacco Smoke Exposure, on Risk of Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Dr LAURA ASHER's Outputs (27)