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Building Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Expertise in Ghana Through Training and Knowledge Dissemination: a Review of the Initial Collaboration Stages, Opportunities, and Challenges

  • Complex Medical-Psychiatric Issues (M Riba, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Psychiatry Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Improving child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) is a priority worldwide. The majority of children with psychiatric conditions in low-middle-income countries (LMIC), like Ghana, receive no treatment due largely to limited resources and few CAMH training opportunities. The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and University of Michigan (UM) established a partnership to expand CAMH training for general psychiatrists in Ghana. Lessons learned from the early stages of the collaboration can serve as an adaptable roadmap for similar efforts to expand CAMH training in LMIC.

Recent Findings

Previous articles have discussed global academic partnership, training, and capacity building programs; however, early challenges, opportunities, and preparatory stages involved in creating a mutually beneficial collaboration aimed at improving child psychiatry expertise in a LMIC are under explored in the global mental health literature. This article seeks to fill that gap by using examples to highlight unique considerations for institutions in the initial stages of establishing their global partnership.

Summary

The early stages of a global partnership can impact the success of the collaboration. Collaborations should be bi-directional, sensitive to local culture, and flexible and establish achievable sustainable goals.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to express our appreciation of Brenda Natala, MA, who helped with the editing of the manuscript and contributed her professional cross-cultural wisdom. We are immensely grateful for her comments and for her contribution to the improvement of the manuscript.

The editors would like to thank Dr. Gabriel Ivbijaro for taking the time to review this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48197, USA

    Nakita Natala, Heidi Burns, Sarah Mohiuddin, Thomas Fluent, Michelle Riba & Gregory Dalack

  2. Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana

    Ruth Owusu-Antwi, Gordon Donnir & Kwabena Kusi-Mensah

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  1. Nakita Natala
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Correspondence to Nakita Natala.

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Conflict of Interest

Nakita Natala reports a Global REACH Partnership Development Grant awarded to the University of Michigan Psychiatry Department April 2017 to build workforce capacity and improve treatment for children and elders with mental illnesses in rural Ghana. Dr. Natala reports travel/accommodation expenses covered by the University of Michigan Psychiatry Department and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Dr. Natala is employed by the University of Michigan and Northern Pacific Global Health Fogarty Fellows program.

Ruth Owusu-Antwi is head of the Psychiatry Department at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

Gordon Donnir reports a Global REACH Partnership Development Grant awarded to the University of Michigan Psychiatry Department April 2017 to build workforce capacity and improve treatment for children and elders with mental illnesses in rural Ghana.

Kwabena Kusi-Mensah reports a Global REACH Partnership Development Grant awarded to the University of Michigan Psychiatry Department April 2017 to build workforce capacity and improve treatment for children and elders with mental illnesses in rural Ghana.

Heidi Burns reports a Global REACH Partnership Development Grant awarded to the University of Michigan Psychiatry Department April 2017 to build workforce capacity and improve treatment for children and elders with mental illnesses in rural Ghana. Dr. Burns reports travel/accommodation expenses covered by the University of Michigan Psychiatry Department and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Dr. Burns is employed by the University of Michigan and Northern Pacific Global Health Fogarty Fellows program.

Sarah Mohiuddin declares no conflict of interest.

Thomas Fluent declares no conflict of interest.

Michelle Riba is a section editor for Current Psychiatry Reports. Dr. Riba reports royalties from APPI, Springer, Cambridge, and Wiley and is a board member of Psychiatric Times. Dr. Riba reports a Global REACH Partnership Development Grant awarded to the University of Michigan Psychiatry Department April 2017 to build workforce capacity and improve treatment for children and elders with mental illnesses in rural Ghana.

Gregory Dalack reports a Global REACH Partnership Development Grant awarded to the University of Michigan Psychiatry Department April 2017 to build workforce capacity and improve treatment for children and elders with mental illnesses in rural Ghana. Dr. Dalack is a board member and treasurer of the American Psychiatric Association (unpaid) and employed by the University of Michigan.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Complex Medical-Psychiatric Issues

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Natala, N., Owusu-Antwi, R., Donnir, G. et al. Building Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Expertise in Ghana Through Training and Knowledge Dissemination: a Review of the Initial Collaboration Stages, Opportunities, and Challenges. Curr Psychiatry Rep 20, 105 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0959-y

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