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Dr LAURA ASHER's Outputs (12)

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. (2025). Mental health and violence against women in Afghanistan, India, and Sri Lanka: a situation analysis. F1000Research, https://doi.org/10.3310/GDOM7555

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.

Cultural Influences on Fidelity Components in Recovery Colleges: A 28-Country Study (2025)
Journal Article
Kotera, Y., Ronaldson, A., Takhi, S., Felix, S., Namasaba, M., Lawrence, S., Kellermann, V., Kapka, A., Hayes, D., Dunnett, D., Jebara, T., Murakami, M., Bakolis, I., Repper, J., Meddings, S., Stergiopoulos, V., Brophy, L., De Ruysscher, C., Eplov, L., Toernes, C., …Slade, M. (in press). Cultural Influences on Fidelity Components in Recovery Colleges: A 28-Country Study. General Psychiatry,

Background Recovery Colleges (RCs) support personal recovery through education, skill development and social support for people with mental health problems, carers and staff. Guided by co-production and adult learning principles, RCs represent a rece... Read More about Cultural Influences on Fidelity Components in Recovery Colleges: A 28-Country Study.

Improving outcomes for people who are homeless and have severe mental illness in Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya: overview of the HOPE programme (2025)
Journal Article
Hanlon, C., Smartt, C., Mutiso, V. N., Yaro, P., Misganaw, E., Read, U., Mayston, R., Birhanu, R., Dako-Gyeke, P., Ndetei, D. M., Asher, L., Repper, J., Eaton, J., Chua, K., Fekadu, A., Tsigebrhan, R., Ashaley Fofo, C., Kariuki, K., Rai, S., Abayneh, S., …Alem, A. (2025). Improving outcomes for people who are homeless and have severe mental illness in Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya: overview of the HOPE programme. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 34, Article e26. https://doi.org/10.1017/s2045796025000186

Aim HOPE (National Institute for Health and Care Research Global Health Research Group on Homelessness and Mental Health in Africa) aims to develop and evaluate interventions that address the unmet needs of people who are homeless and have severe men... Read More about Improving outcomes for people who are homeless and have severe mental illness in Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya: overview of the HOPE programme.

Effects of community-based rehabilitation on caregivers of people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia in the RISE trial (2025)
Journal Article
Dijkstra, L. G., Weiss, H. A., 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(1), 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 (LMIC... 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.

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.

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.