The Effect of Integrating CAMH Into PHC and Traditional Healers' Practice in Uganda: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Community Mental Health Services

Child Adolescent Mental Integration PHC Traditional Healers

This randomized controlled trial will compare the effect of a CAMH integration package on yield of CAMH cases compared to non-CAMH integrated sites. It will be conducted among nurses, midwives and clinical officers who provide PHC services to children and adolescents in 42 health centers; and eligible traditional healers.

The overall goal of the study is to increase access to mental health services for children and adolescents in Uganda by improving entry through primary health care workers and traditional healers. The main objective of the study is to measure the effect of integrating child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) into primary health care (PHC) and into traditional healers' services on CAMH case identification in 2 districts in Eastern Uganda, so as to improve entry into mental health services. The specific objectives are: 1. To estimate the effect of CAMH integration into PHC on case identification, measured by the number of new non- epilepsy CAMH diagnoses. 2. To assess the feasibility and effect of integrating CAMH into traditional healers practice, measured by the number of CAMH referrals from community to clinics per month. 3. To assess the acceptability of CAMH integration among PHC workers and traditional healers 4. To estimate the costs associated with the integration of CAMH into PHC and traditional medicine