• You are here : Home
• Resource Center
• Documentary database
• Factors for success in mental health advocacy

Background: Mental health advocacy groups are an effective way of pushing the mental health agenda and putting pressure on national governments to observe the right to health; however, there is limited research that highlights best practices for such groups in low-resource settings. In an effort to improve the scaling up of mental health in Sierra Leone, stakeholders came together to form the country’s first mental health advocacy group: the Mental Health Coalition – Sierra Leone. Since its inception, the group has worked towards raising the profile of mental health in Sierra Leone and developing as an advocacy organisation.

 

 

Design: The study’s aim was to investigate views on enabling factors and barriers associated with mental health advocacy in a low-income country using a community-based participatory approach and qualitative methodology. Focus groups (N=9) were held with mental health stakeholders, and key informant interviews (N=15) were conducted with advocacy targets. Investigators analysed the data collaboratively using coding techniques informed by grounded theory.

 

 

Results: Investigators reveal viewpoints on key factors in networking, interacting with government actors, and awareness raising that enabled mental health advocacy aims of supporting policy, service delivery, service user rights, training for service delivery, and awareness raising. The investigators outline viewpoints on barriers for advocacy aims in framing the issue of mental health, networking, interacting with government actors, resource mobilization, and awareness raising.

 

 

Conclusions: The findings outline enabling factors, such as networking with key stakeholders, and barriers, such as lack of political will, for achieving mental health advocacy aims within a low-resource setting, Sierra Leone. 

Commentaire en français
Ce document est une étude sur les facteurs qui font qu’un groupe de défense des personnes handicapées est efficace. Pour mener cette étude, les chercheurs ont interrogé différents acteurs de terrain qui participent aux groupes de défense des personnes handicapées en Sierra Leone. De ces entretiens en groupe, il en est ressorti différentes barrières rencontrées et de nombreux conseils (politique, économique…) pour rendre plus efficace les groupes de défense des personnes handicapées.

Ce document intéressera les personnes qui s’engagent dans la défense des personnes handicapées dans les pays en voie de développement.

 

This document is a study of the factors which enhance the efficiency of disabled people’s organisations (DPO). The researchers interviewed different parties involved in DPOs in Sierra Leone. These group interviews provided an insight into the different obstacles encountered, and also provided advice (political and economical) on ways to make these organisations more efficient.   

This document might be of interest to people involved in disability advocacy groups in developing countries.