TREAT INTERACT

As a continuation of TREAT Child Alcohol Use Disorder (C-AUD) in Eastern Uganda: Screening, diagnostics, risk factors and handling of children drinking alcohol (2019-2024) the TREAT INTERACT project (2021-2026) (external link) seeks to work with the schools to improve mental health detection, support and management for children in primary schools. Both projects are received funding from the Research Council of Norway.

Inspired by the WHO initiative «Mental Health Gap Action Programme - Intervention Guide» (mhGAP-IG), a task-shifting approach and intersectoral collaboration effort between the education and health sector has been developed and is rolled out in 18 schools in Mbale District through a step-wedged design in the TREAT INTERACT trial: Implementing a user involved education- and health system interactive task-shifting approach for child mental health promotion in Uganda.

UiB is a partner and the TREAT INTERACT is managed by Norwegian centre for violence and traumatic stress studies with the project manager Ane-Marthe Solheim Skar (external link)in Norway and Juliet Babirye (external link) in Uganda. At UiB Professor Ingunn Marie S. Engebretsen is the partner lead.

Nora Braathu is a UiB PhD-candidate working in TREAT Interact on the reduction of stigma in schools through this task-shifting intervention (link in Norwegian) (external link).

In December 2023 a large consortium and stakeholder group meeting was held at Kabira Country Club in Kampala where the results from the TREAT C-AUD project were disseminated to the Ugandan representatives from Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health and other stakeholder. In addition, the foundational work from TREAT INTERACT was discussed and challenges and opportunities for intersectoral collaboration identified. Mental health suffering including increasing suicidal numbers among younger children is of huge concern in Uganda. Preliminary findings suggest that the mental health promotion task-shifting approach is very well received among teachers and in schools.

Break time for some of the TREAT team members in a work-shop. From the left, behind: Nora Braathu, Neda Valeckaite, Harriet Aber-Odonga, Melf J. Kühl, (front, left) Maria Kyabanabwe, one of our “TREAT princesses and princes”, Marjorie Mukisa, Juliet Babirye, Ingunn M.S. Engebretsen and Ane-Marthe Solheim Skar.