Global Mental Health I am a principle investigator of the 

1. Principle Investigator NutriMind: A Combination of Healthy Diet and Psychotherapy to Treat Depression, NutriMind: A Combination of Healthy Diet and Psychotherapy to Treat Depression - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov.

My previous research works and collaboration has been with several universities in Norway, Uganda, Netherlands, USA, Tanzania, Sierraleone and Ethiopia on various mental health, Nutrition and Public Health research projects.

Introduction: The main aim of this randomized controlled trial is to:                  

Test if a healthy diet combined with mindfulness cognitive therapy can reduce depressive symptoms among university students in a low-resource setting – the case of Uganda.

Objectives/research questions

• The combined intervention with Diet and MBCT will reduce depressive symptoms 

     compared with a control group.

• The combined intervention is cost-effective.

• Research design and method

An open intention-to-treat RCT organized in three work packages (WP). The project has been running for 3 years from 2022 to date. We have collected all time points data and a PhD fellow is working on the data processing for his thesis.

Co-Investigators: Prof Per Ole Iversen, Prof, Dept. of Nutrition, Univ. Oslo/ Oslo Univ. Hospital Prof Archileo Kaaya, Food insecurity/local PI in Uganda Makerere University, Dr Grace Muhoozi, Diet research in Uganda/co-PhD supervisor, Prof Marit B Veierød, Dept. of Biostatistics, Univ. Oslo, Assoc. Prof Knut R Wangen, Dept. of Health Management and Health Economics, Univ. Oslo, Elin Børøsund, Head of Research and Education, Dept. of Digital Health Res. Oslo Univ. Hospital

2. A collaborator with COGENT - Improving COgnition and GEstational duration with targeted NuTrition in Sierra Leone, collaborating with Mark Manary, MD,  Washington University Professor of Pediatrics, founder of Project Peanut Butter and the developer of a revolutionary peanut-based Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). Professor Mark  Manary is one of the world’s foremost experts in childhood malnutrition.

Introduction

Preterm birth is common worldwide and a leading risk factor for neonatal mortality, associated with short- and long-term developmental complications among those who survive. Many of these deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA); in Sierra Leone, the neonatal mortality rate is 31/1,000 live births.

Primary Objectives

1.To determine whether adding 1g docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), / eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)E + 550mg choline to a supplementary food provided to malnourished pregnant Sierra Leona women ≤ 30 weeks GA at enrollment will prolong gestation.

2.  To determine whether provision of a novel CBT designed for illiterate end-users will improve depressive symptoms among malnourished pregnant women with ante- or post-natal depression compared with no CBT.

Secondary Objectives: To determine whether M-RUSF+ will reduce early and late pre-term birth, improve birth length/weight, reduce low birth weight, improve sub-domain cognitive development scores, reduce neonatal mortality, and reduce depression scores compared with M-RUSF.

Co-Investigators: Co-PI: Kevin Stephenson, MD, Washington University in St. Louis, Co-Investigator: D. Taylor Hendrixson, MD, University of Washington, National PI, Aminata Koroma MS. Director of Nutrition, Ministry of Health & Sanitation of Sierra Leone, Joshua Abioseh Duncan, Coordinator for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mental Health Coalition of Sierra Leone

3.Training of trainers on the integration of community based psychosocial support with social cohesion and peace building. Facilitators manual for Ethiopia

Introduction

This project follows the ABRONET Consortium: Restoring social cohesion among communities affected by violent conflicts in Ethiopia – a religious actor’s response.

Ethiopia is a diverse nation comprising of different cultures, religions, languages, and ethnicities with a history of coexistence for centuries. According to the World Factbook, the Oromo and the Amhara ethnic groups account for 34.9% and 27.9% of the total population, respectively. Demographically, the population of Ethiopia is young, with about 50% of the population below the age of 25 and with a total population of 121 million people. Ethiopia has the 2^nd  largest population in Africa and accounts for 10% of the total population in Africa.

Objectives/outcomes

• The first is focusing on increasing social cohesion, including psychosocial well-being, in communities that are affected by violent conflict
• The second is linking the peace-work of religious actors in the local level with the national and regional efforts to strengthen peace

• The third is focusing on developing the practices and approaches as well as  capacity and learning in order to strengthen the quality of the community programme

  Co-Investigators

• Norwegian Church Aid and Act Alliance, Act CoS.

Prudence teaches several courses in public health, Nutrition, Global Mental Health and Community Based Psychosocial Support interventions to both students and international Non-Governmental Organization in Humanitarian as well as development work. Prudence also co-chaired the World Health Organization Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Minimum Service Package (MHPSS-MSP) together with UNICEF.

Courses

PSY380 Global Mental Health / 2023H

Autumn 2023 and 2024 - Center for Crisis Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway

Supporting medical staff, students and clinicians to diagnose and treat depression in times of conflict

Spring 2024 -  Neuropsychiatre Epileptologue Médeci légiste, Democratic Republic of Congo

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Cristin person ID: 620529

Prudence Atukunda Friberg Publications List

1.Kardel, Kristin Reimers, Per Ole Iversen, Archileo Natigo Kaaya, Grace Muhoozi, Marit B. Veierød, Knut Reidar Wangen, Elin Børøsund, and Prudence Atukunda Friberg. "A pragmatic randomized trial to examine the effect of combining healthy diet with mindfulness cognitive therapy to reduce depressive symptoms among university students in a low-resource setting: protocol for the NutriMind Project." BMC psychiatry 24, no. 1 (2024): 610.
 

2.Kakwangire, P., Atukunda, P., Ngari, M., Westerberg, A.C., Iversen, P.O. &Muhoozi,G. Long-term effects on depressive symptoms among Ugandan mothers – Findings from a follow-up of a cluster-randomized education trial in a rural low-resource setting. J Affect Dis . 2024 Apr 15;351:598-606.
 

3.Kakwangire, P., Muhoozi, G., Ngari, M., Matovu, N., Westerberg, A.C., Iversen, P.O. & Atukunda, P. 8-year follow-up of a maternal education trial in a low-resource setting. Pediatrics 2024 Apr 1;153(4).
 

4.Ahmed, M., Muhoozi, G.K.M., Atukunda, P., Westerberg, A.C. Iversen, P.O. & Wangen, K.R. Cognitive development among children in a low-income setting: cost-effectiveness analysis of a maternal nutrition education intervention in rural Uganda. PLoS One 18: e0290379, 2023.
 

5.Meshkovska, B., Gebremariam, M.K., Atukunda, P., Iversen, P.O., Wandel, M. & Lien, N.Barriers and facilitators to implementation of nutrition-related actions in school settings in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs): a qualitative systematic review using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Implement Sci Comm 4: 73, 2023.
 

6.Engh, M.S., Muhoozi, G.K.M., Ngari, M., Skaare, A.B., Westerberg, A.C., Iversen, P.O., Brusevold, I.J. & Atukunda, P. Long-term effects of a randomized maternal education trial in rural Uganda: Implications for child oral health. Am J Trop med Hyg 107: 939-947, 2022.
 

7.Muhoozi, G., Li, K., Atukunda, P., Skaare, A.B., Willumsen, T., Enersen, M., Westerberg, A.C., Morris, A., Vieira, A.R., Iversen, P.O. & Methé, B.A. Child saliva microbiota and caries - a randomized controlled maternal education trial in rural Uganda. Sci Rep 12: 7857, 2022.
 

8.Atukunda, P., Ngari, M., Chen, X., Westerberg, A.C., Iversen, P.O., & Muhoozi, G.Longitudinal assessments of child growth in rural Uganda: A six-year follow-up of a cluster-randomized maternal education trial. Clin Nutr 40: 5106-5113, 2021.
 

9.Atukunda, P., Eide, W. B., Kardel, K. R., Iversen, P.O., & Westerberg, A.C. Unlocking the potential for achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 – “Zero Hunger” - in Africa: Targets, synergies, strategies and challenges. Food Nutr Res 65: 10.29219, 2021.
 

10. Iversen PO, Ngari M, Westerberg AC, Muhoozi G, Atukunda P. Child stunting concurrent with wasting or being overweight: A 6-y follow up of a randomized maternal education trial in Uganda. Nutrition 89:111281, 2021.
 

11. Kakwangire P, Moss C, Matovu N, Atukunda P, Westerberg AC, Iversen PO, Muhoozi G. The association between dietary diversity and development among children under 24 months in rural Uganda: Analysis of a cluster-randomised maternal education trial. Publ Health Nutr 24:4286-4296, 2021.
 

12.Schoen, E.D., Vazquez, A.R., Atukunda, P., Muhoozi, G.K.M., Wacoo, A.P., Westerberg, A.C., Iversen, P.O. & Kort, R. Model selection reveals the butyrate-pruducing gut bacterium Coprococcus eutactus as predictor for language development in 3-year old rural Ugandan children. Front Microbiol 12:681485, 2021.
 

13.Atukunda, P., Muhoozi, G.KM., Diep, L.M., Jens P Berg., Westerberg, A.C., & Per O Iversen. The association of urine markers of iodine intake with development and growth among children in rural Uganda: a secondary analysis of a randomised education trial. Publ Health Nutr 13: 1-10, 2020.
 

14.Wacoo, Atukunda, P., Muhoozi, G.K.M., Braster, M., Wagner,M., van den Broek, T. J., Sybesma, W., Westerberg, A.C., Iversen, P. O. & Kort, R. Aflatoxins: Occurrence, exposure, and binding to lactobacillus species from the gut microbiota of rural ugandan children. Microorganisms 8: 347, 2020.
 

15.Iversen, P.O., Atukunda, P., Kort, R., Ueland, P.M., Westerberg, A.C. & Muhoozi, G.K.M. No associations between microbiota signaling substances and cognitive, language and motor development among three-year-old rural Ugandan children. Acta Paed 109: 2339-2341, 2020.
 

16.Atukunda, P., Muhoozi., G.K.M., van den Broek, T.J., Kort, R., Diep, L.M., Kaaya, A.N., Iversen, P.O. & Westerberg, A.C. Child development, growth and microbiota: follow-up of a randomized education trial in Uganda. J Glob Health 9: p.010431, 2019.
 

17.Atukunda, P., Muhoozi, G.K.M., Westerberg, A.C., & Iversen, P.O. Nutrition, hygiene and stimulation education for impoverished mothers in rural Uganda: Effect on maternal depression symptoms and their associations to child development outcomes. Nutrients 11, 2019.

18. Kort, R., Schlösser, J., Vazquez, A.R., Atukunda, P., Muhoozi, G., Wacoo, A.P., Sybesma, W., Westerberg, A.C., Iversen, P.O. & Schoen, E. Model selection reveals the butyrate-producing gut bacterium Coprococcus eutactus as predictor for language development in three-year-old rural Ugandan children. Front Microbiol 12: 681485, 2021.
 

19.Muhoozi, G.K., Atukunda, P., Skaare, A., Willumsen, T., Diep, L.M., Westerberg, A. & Iversen, P.O. Effects of nutrition and hygiene education on oral health and growth among toddlers in rural Uganda: follow-up of a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Trop Med Int Health 23: 391-404, 2018.
 

20.Muhoozi, G.K.M., Atukunda, P., Diep, L.M., Mwadime, R., Kaaya, A.N., Skaare, A.B., Willumsen, T., Westerberg, A.C. & Iversen, P.O. Nutrition, hygiene and stimulation education to improve growth, cognitive, language and motor development among infants in Uganda: a cluster-randomized trial. Matern Child Nutr 14:e12527, 2018.
 

21.Muhoozi, G.K.M., Atukunda, P., Mwadime, R., Iversen, P.O. & Westerberg, A.C. Nutritional and developmental status among 6 to 8 months old children in South-Western Uganda – a cross sectional study. Food Nutr Res 60: 30270, 2016

1. The NutriMind Project: Implementing healthy diet with mindfulness cognitive therapy to treat depression among university students in Uganda.

2. Child Nutrition and Development (CHNUDEV), a nutrition project in Uganda

3. COGENT - Improving COgnition and GEstational duration with targeted NuTrition in Sierra Leon

4. The ABRONET Consortium: Restoring social cohesion among communities affected by violent conflicts in Ethiopia – a religious actor’s response.