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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., …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., …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., …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., …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., …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., …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., …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.

Community-based rehabilitation intervention for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia (RISE): a 12 month mixed methods pilot study (2018)
Journal Article
Asher, L., Hanlon, C., Birhane, R., Habtamu, A., Eaton, J., Weiss, H. A., …De Silva, M. (2018). Community-based rehabilitation intervention for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia (RISE): a 12 month mixed methods pilot study. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), Article 250. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1818-4

BACKGROUND: Community-based rehabilitation (CBR), or community-based inclusive development, is an approach to address the complex health, social and economic needs of people with schizophrenia in low and middle-income countries. Formative work was un... Read More about Community-based rehabilitation intervention for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia (RISE): a 12 month mixed methods pilot study.

The role of communities in mental Hhalth care in low- and middle-income countries: a meta-review of components and competencies (2018)
Journal Article
Kohrt, B. A., Asher, L., Bhardwaj, A., Fazel, M., Jordans, M. J., Mutamba, B. B., …Patel, V. (2018). The role of communities in mental Hhalth care in low- and middle-income countries: a meta-review of components and competencies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(6), https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061279

Community-based mental health services are emphasized in the World Health Organization’s Mental Health Action Plan, the World Bank’s Disease Control Priorities, and the Action Plan of the World Psychiatric Association. There is increasing evidence fo... Read More about The role of communities in mental Hhalth care in low- and middle-income countries: a meta-review of components and competencies.

Global mental health and schizophrenia (2018)
Journal Article
Asher, L., Fekadu, A., & Hanlon, C. (2018). Global mental health and schizophrenia. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 31(3), https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0000000000000404

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim was to synthesize recent evidence on schizophrenia illness experience and outcomes and models of care in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). RECENT FINDINGS: There is a plurality of explanatory models for psychosis... Read More about Global mental health and schizophrenia.

A step in the right direction: an open-design pedometer algorithm for dogs (2018)
Journal Article
Ladha, C., Belshaw, Z., O’Sullivan, J., & Asher, L. (2018). A step in the right direction: an open-design pedometer algorithm for dogs. BMC Veterinary Research, 14, Article 107. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-018-1422-3

Accelerometer-based technologies could be useful in providing objective measures of canine ambulation, but most are either not tailored to the idiosyncrasies of canine gait, or, use un-validated or closed source approaches. The aim of this paper was... Read More about A step in the right direction: an open-design pedometer algorithm for dogs.

“I cry every day and night, I have my son tied in chains”: physical restraint of people with schizophrenia in community settings in Ethiopia (2017)
Journal Article
Asher, L., Fekadu, A., Teferra, S., De Silva, M., Pathare, S., & Hanlon, C. (2017). “I cry every day and night, I have my son tied in chains”: physical restraint of people with schizophrenia in community settings in Ethiopia. Globalization and Health, 13(1), Article 47. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-017-0273-1

Background A primary rationale for scaling up mental health services in low and middle-income countries is to address human rights violations, including physical restraint in community settings. The voices of those with intimate experiences of res... Read More about “I cry every day and night, I have my son tied in chains”: physical restraint of people with schizophrenia in community settings in Ethiopia.

Perinatal maternal life events and psychotic experiences in children at twelve years in a birth cohort study (2013)
Journal Article
Dorrington, S., Zammit, S., Asher, L., Evans, J., Heron, J., & Lewis, G. (2014). Perinatal maternal life events and psychotic experiences in children at twelve years in a birth cohort study. Schizophrenia Research, 152(1), 158-163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2013.11.006

Background: International studies indicate that the median prevalence of psychotic experiences in children is 7%. It has been proposed that environmental stress during pregnancy may affect the neurodevelopment of the foetus and lead to a vulnerabilit... Read More about Perinatal maternal life events and psychotic experiences in children at twelve years in a birth cohort study.