Evaluating Community Health Care Providers Knowledge and Self- Confidence in the Identification, Diagnosis and Treatment of Adolescent Depression in Tanzania

Depression, which frequently onsets in young people, is projected to become the largest single burden of disease globally in the next decade. Its impact may be disproportionately felt in low-income countries, such as Tanzania, where availability of appropriate care in the community is poor. As part of the development of a health provider work force that can properly address this issue, assessment of current mental health literacy, focusing on knowledge about and self-confidence in the identification, diagnosis and treatment of Depression in young people by community health care providers is needed. This study addresses that need.

This journal article published in the Archives of Depression and Anxiety examines the impact of face-to-face teacher training that was part of our Integrated Mental Health project in Tanzania. While this article does not touch on the interactive rural radio program which was a major part of this project, these results are relevant in that they were achieved the in context of a mass media (radio) campaign on youth mental health in Tanzania.

For more information on what we did with radio in this project please check out our project outcome evaluation report here.