Congratulations to Dean Mary McKay, Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar, and Dr. Fred Ssewamala on their recent publication “Implementation science in global health settings: Collaborating with governmental & community partners in Uganda” that was published in the journal Psychiatry Research. The article highlights the need to develop sustainable, evidence-based practices (EBPs) that meet the mental health needs of children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) framework, the paper describes how the team has engaged community members and government organizations to implement a longitudinal study adapted to fill the service gap for youth behavioral health in Uganda. The NIMH-funded SMART Africa scale-up study in Uganda is used as a case example to demonstrate how community stakeholders can be involved to improve child mental health outcomes. The paper discusses the partnerships created within the research study context and beyond, reaching policymakers and government structures. Finally, the article examines strategies for successful implementation and increased sustainability and replication in low-resource conditions. The full publication can be found here.
