On 26th August, THRU ZIM was honored to present our past and ongoing mental health research to the World Health Organization Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) Mental Health Department, Friendship Bench, and Pamumvuri. This meeting offered a valuable opportunity to highlight our impactful work in mental health and explore exciting potential collaborations across multiple sectors.
Presentations covered a range of mental health research being conducted at THRU ZIM, including community-led interventions, mental health research in adolescents and older adults, mental health and substance use, and mental health in multimorbidity. We also discussed the challenges and opportunities in these areas, highlighting the importance of considering the well-being of carers and household members, especially vulnerable groups such as adolescents, older people, and children.
WHO Mental Health Technical Officer for Zimbabwe Dr. Debra Machando, shared MOHCC and WHO mental health priorities, including research outcomes, and emphasized the importance of collaboration between MOHCC, WHO, stakeholders, and researchers to meet these mental health priorities. One suggestion was to embed university students or recent graduates in research programs at BRTI as volunteers, fostering a new generation of mental health researchers. Prof. Celia Gregson underscored the need for research to be responsive to emerging needs and for researchers to anticipate policy shifts. This proactive approach would ensure that research aligns with the expectations of policymakers and stakeholders, allowing for timely and impactful studies. A critical point raised during the presentations was the misunderstanding and misuse of the term "counseling." The term is often applied by individuals with minimal training, leading to a failure to meet clients' needs. There is a call for a more accurate term that has not been diluted in meaning.
Additionally, concerns about the lack of privacy in mental health service provision were discussed, with a recommendation to reset standards to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of mental health care. Partners at the meeting agreed to share materials developed and used for national programming and data capture to create synergy between research data and national data, enhancing the impact and coordination of mental health initiatives in Zimbabwe
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