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In this season of thanksgiving and gratitude, we would like to extend our deepest appreciation to our collaborators around the globe and in particular to our SMART Africa team in Uganda that wrapped up their final Multiple Family Group (MFG) intervention in schools this month. Over the past four years, the SMART Africa-Uganda team has designed, supported, and assessed the delivery of more than 250 MFG sessions across 16 schools. This is a remarkable feat; congratulations to the study coordinators, Phionah Namatovu, Joshua Kiyingi and Josephine Nabayinda, and partners on the ground who have been instrumental in making this happen! We are also grateful for our SMART Africa partners in Kenya and Ghana who continue to adapt and innovate as they enter the final phases of this study.

We continue to be amazed by our team and collaborators who collectively have had ten oral presentations and/or posters accepted at the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 2021 Annual Conference. Also, a huge congratulations to the ICHAD team for publishing a paper in the American Journal of Public Health –“Impact of a Family Economic Intervention (Bridges) on Health functioning of Adolescents Orphaned by HIV/AIDS: A 5-year (2012-2017) Cluster Randomized 3 Controlled Trial in Uganda,” which highlights findings from the Bridges to the Future study. Another manuscript out of the Suubi4Her Study, focused on the “Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms Among High School Adolescents Girls,” was accepted for publication in BMC Public Health. Additional details about both publications can be found below.

In order to make all of the above happen, the ICHAD and SMART Africa teams recognize the importance of capacity building for team members across the spectrum. A friendly reminder that we are currently recruiting for three NIH-funded training programs, LEAD Global Training Program, Research Resilience Training, and CHILD-Global Research Fellows. Applications for each are due January 4, 2021.

As always, please feel free to contact us with any news or updates that you would like us to include in our upcoming newsletter. Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to learn about all of our latest updates!

We wish you all continued health and happiness!

The ICHAD and SMART Africa Teams

UPDATES FROM THE FIELD

ICHAD Research Assistants conducting 6-month and 12-month follow up interviews at the ICHAD calling center in Masaka, Uganda.

Kyaterekera Project

Through a combination of economic empowerment, vocational skills training, and HIV risk reduction (HIVRR) sessions, the Kyaterekera Project is focused on reducing new incidences of sexually transmitted infections and HIV among women engaged in sex work in Uganda. In November, the Kyaterekera team continued the 6- and 12-months telephone interviews. To date, a total of 460 out of 517 participant assessments (89%) have been completed from 18 out of 19 study sites. In addition, 95 out of 107 participants (89%) from the three sites that were due for 12-month follow ups, have completed interviews. Next month, the team will continue to follow up with study participants. Congratulations to the team for these impressive response rates!

ICHAD Research Assistant instructs participants prior to telephone interviews in Masaka, Uganda.

Suubi4Her

The Suubi4Her study seeks to examine the impact and costs associated with an innovative combination intervention that aims to prevent HIV risk behaviors in communities heavily impacted by HIV/AIDS. In November, the Suubi4Her team continued to conduct Wave 3 (24-months follow-up) telephone interviews at respective schools or conduct home visits for those that have relocated due to COVID-19. The team and study participants also continue to adhere to all safety measures against COVID-19, including practicing social distancing and wearing face masks. As of November 23, 965 out of 1,233 participants (78%) have been interviewed. In terms of the qualitative component that seeks to examine participants’ experiences with the intervention, the team continues to administer qualitative interviews to randomly selected dyads of guardians and their children. As of November 20, 36 dyads have been interviewed and collected data is being transcribed and translated from Luganda to English. The team will continue with these interviews over the coming months. Thanks to the Suubi4Her Uganda team for this great work.

Uganda Cancer Institute in Kampala, Uganda.

Suubi4Cancer

The Suubi4Cancer seeks to identify confirmed and suspected cancer cases among a cohort of more than 3,000 youth (ages 10 to 24) living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda. In November, while awaiting approval of documents needed to consent participants and conduct the qualitative interviews, the team continued to work with health clinics to establish initial contact with potential participants. The team hopes to start the qualitative interviews in December.

Suubi4Stigma

Suubi4Stigma study examines the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary impact of two evidence-based interventions, Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (G-CBT) and Multiple Family Group (MFG), to address HIV/AIDS associated stigma among adolescents (aged 10-14 years) living with HIV in Uganda. In November, the team continued with study preparations which included translating data collection tools such as the child and guardian measures and qualitative interview guides. The team also finalized the MFG Family Handbook. All study documents, including consent and assent forms, intervention manuals, and assessment measures, were submitted to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) for approval. The team is currently working on the G-CBT manual. The team also reported that the randomization of health facilities was completed and they will be working with six health facilities in 5 districts of Kyotera, Masaka, Lwengo, Lyantonde and Kalungu. Over the next few months, the field team will conduct visits to selected health facilities to introduce the study and begin participant recruitment! We are grateful to the Suubi4Stigma team for this wonderful job.

Suubi+Adherence-R2

The Suubi+Adherence-R2 study seeks to examine the long-term impact of the Suubi+Adherence intervention on HIV viral suppression, and to explore the long-term impact of the intervention on key HIV treatment adherence outcomes for youth living with HIV, including their ability to access and refill prescribed medication, adherence to prescribed daily medication routines, and their engagement in HIV care such as keeping medical appointments. This month the U.S. and Ugandan ICHAD teams met to discuss and finalize questions that will be included in the assessment measures. MPIs are meeting with study coordinators, data collectors, co-investigators and research staff to review questionnaire items, including new questions on social transitions and cognitive functioning. Revisions on consent forms, data collection materials, manual of procedures, and other documents including risk management plans and testing algorithms are ongoing. Preparations for IRB applications are being finalized. Congratulations to the team for laying the groundwork for this important study!

A completed Child Development Savings account opening booklet for participating ANZANSI families in Tamale, Ghana.

ANZANSI Study

The ANZANSI Family Program seeks to pilot test the feasibility of an innovative combination intervention–Family Economic Empowerment and Multiple Family Group (MFG)–amongst adolescent girls at risk of dropping out of school and migrating for work in Northern Ghana. All participating families (100 families in total) have completed baseline assessments. In November, the ANZANSI research team submitted all required documents for IRB renewal. Dr. Abdallah Ibrahim, the in-country PI for ANZANSI, has arrived in Tamale to support the team’s study activities in the field. In the treatment group, 33 out of the 50 families have opened child development accounts. The BasicNeeds and BIBIR teams are resuming the delivery of the Multiple Family Group (MFG) and Financial Literacy Training sessions with the families in the treatment group. Congratulations to the team for what you have been able to accomplish this month!

A research team member from Basic Needs interviewing a child participant for the 6-month follow-up assessment for the SMART Africa-Ghana study in Tamale, Ghana.

SMART Africa

The SMART Africa studies examine the impact and implementation of an evidence-based Multiple Family Group (MFG) intervention for children experiencing behavioral problems and their families in Uganda, Kenya, and Ghana.

In November, the Uganda team delivered the final Multiple Family Group (MFG) sessions, in the Amaka Amasanyufu intervention, culminating four years of hard work! The last three MFG sessions were delivered by Community Health Workers in compliance with the local COVID-19 guidelines for participants in a treatment 2 arm study school, where despite the pandemic, 81.5% of the expected families attended the sessions. Families expressed gratitude for the MFG intervention which has been pivotal in positive adjustments in the parenting styles. Following the completion of the sessions in the last school, the team conducted the 16-week follow-up interviews for the participants. Thus far, 90% of participants have been interviewed in the last round of eight schools. On November 19th, the team successfully hosted a remote site monitoring visit that included National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) representatives, the study Principal Investigators, study coordinators, and the site monitors from Partners in Population and Development (PPD). The team presented on the study’s progress and answered questions from the monitors, which was well-received. Congratulations to the SMART Africa-Uganda team, and many thanks to the families who participated in the study as well as our funders, the NIMH!

The Kenya team has been hard at work to adapt to study changes resulting from COVID-19. The team is currently exploring new ways to collect data in a way that maximizes the safety of the research staff and study participants. Prior to COVID-19, the team used paper copies of the assessments exclusively, but is now shifting toward new online methods to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The Kenya team is also beginning to analyze their baseline data and plan to begin drafting manuscripts for publication that detail their findings.

This month, the Ghana team continued 6-month assessments for School Health Educators (SHEP)-facilitated MFG sessions which were postponed due to the COVID-19 shutdowns. Safety precautions for the study team and participants have been established, including scheduled appointments for assessments and sitting more than 6-feet apart during these assessments. MFG sessions for Parent Peers, which were also postponed due to COVID restrictions, concluded this month. Participants were enthusiastic to continue these sessions. The team is now processing and cleaning study data.

Congratulations to all of our SMART Africa teams for their hard work as the project enters its final stage!

UPDATES FROM ICHAD AND SMART AFRICA TEAMS

ICHAD-Uganda staff meet with the UVRI Research Ethics Committee for a site monitoring visit at the ICHAD-Masaka field offices.

Site Monitoring Visit

Earlier this month, the Suubi4Her and Kyaterekera Project teams received a delegation from the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) Research Ethics Committee (REC), as part of the site monitoring visit for the two studies. The ICHAD team, led by Study Coordinators Ms. Flavia Namuwonge and Mr. Joshua Kiyingi, presented progress reports, as well as ongoing and planned activities for the respective studies. Following the presentations, the delegation proceeded to review research documents to ensure compliance with approved protocols, after which they made some recommendations. Overall, the delegation was very impressed with the level of ethical conduct of research at ICHAD-Masaka field offices, as well as the state of the art infrastructure put in place, including COVID-related personal protective measures to protect study participants and the research staff from contracting the virus. Congratulations to the ICHAD-Uganda team on a successful site monitoring visit!

Congratulations to the following ICHAD team members whose abstracts were accepted for the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) 2021 Annual Conference “Social Work Science for Social Change.” The conference will be delivered virtually on January 19-22, 2021. For more information, visit the conference website.

Rachel Brathwaite, PhD, ICHAD Postdoctoral Fellow

Development and External Validation of a Risk Calculator to Predict 'poor Mental Health' Outcomes Among Youths Affected by HIV in Uganda - Oral Paper

William Byansi, ICHAD Research Associate

Caregiver Characteristics Associated with DBDs Among School Going Children in Uganda - Oral Paper

Flora Cohen, ICHAD Research Associate

Sex-Disaggregated Associations between Gender Norm Perceptions, Self-Concept, and Hopelessness Among AIDS-Orphaned Children in Uganda - Poster

Daji Dvalishvili, ICHAD Research Associate

Food Insecurity and Violence Against Children at Homes in Southern Uganda: A Propensity Score Analysis - Poster

Joshua Kiyingi, ICHAD Research Associate

Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and HIV in Economically Vulnerable Women Engaged in Sex Work in Uganda: Implications for HIV Care and Treatment Engagement - Poster

Joelynn Muwanga, ICHAD Alum

Family Factors and Gender Norms as Protective Factors Against Sexual Risk-Taking Intentions Among Adolescent Girls in Southern Uganda - Poster

Proscovia Nabunya, PhD, ICHAD Co-Director

Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms Among High School Adolescent Girls in Southern Uganda - Poster

Ozge Sensoy Bahar, PhD, ICHAD Co-Director

The Relationship between Family Cohesion and Child Behavioral Challenges Among School-Going Children in Southwestern Uganda - Oral Paper

Thembie Shato, PhD ICHAD Training Fellow, RRT Fellow

The Effect of Family-Based Economic Empowerment Intervention and Family Factors on Sexual Risk-Taking Attitudes Among Adolescents Living with HIV in Uganda - Oral Paper

Susan Witte, PhD, ICHAD Faculty Affiliate at Columbia University

PrEP Knowledge, Attitudes and Use Among Vulnerable Women Engaged in Sex Work in Uganda: Implications for HIV Prevention - Oral Paper

ICHAD U.S. and Uganda staff, partners, and trainees participate in Human Subject training via Zoom.

In-House Training

In November, Andrea Morris, Manager of the Human Research Quality Assurance Program at Washington University, delivered two of four Human Subjects related training sessions to the ICHAD staff, partners and trainees both in the U.S. and Uganda. The training sessions provide overviews and reminders of good clinical practices to follow while conducting research. Sessions include training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Regulatory Binders, Self Audit/Audit Activity-Monitors and Case Studies in Compliance.

CAPACITY BUILDING

ICHAD/SMART Africa Training Programs

The ICHAD/SMART Africa training programs consist of three NIH-funded training grants: LEAD Global Training Program (Co-Directors Dr. Fred Ssewamala and Dr. Patricia Cavazos-Rehg), Research Resilience Training (Co-Directors Dr. Fred Ssewamala, Dean Mary McKay, and Dr. Sean Joe), and CHILD-Global Research Fellows (Co-Directors Dr. Fred Ssewamala, Dean Mary McKay, and Dr. Noeline Nakasujja). The programs support early career researchers in domestic and global mental health, health disparities, and HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and Sub-Saharan Africa to become independent researchers and leaders of multidisciplinary teams in resource-limited settings.

LEAD, RRT, and CHILD-GRF Applications Now Open!

Applications for ICHAD’s training programs are now open. All applications are completed online and have a deadline of January 4, 2021. Please see the flyer and visit each program website for eligibility and application requirements. Links to each application site are below. If you have questions about the programs, please contact Laura Peer at Lpeer@wustl.edu. Please help us spread the word about these training opportunities for early career researchers!

LEAD Global Training Program – Online Application

Research Resilience Training Program – Online Application

CHILD-Global Research Fellowship – Online Application

Dr. Nabunya Featured in IPH Global Health Week Career Panel

The Institute for Public Health at Washington University hosted a series of virtual events in celebration of Global Health Week on November 2-6. The culminating event, Let’s Talk Diverse Global Health Careers!, was organized by the Global Health Student Advisory Committee and featured a cross-disciplinary panel of faculty, including ICHAD/SMART Africa’s Co-Director, Dr. Proscovia Nabunya. Dr. Nabunya discussed her own career path, including the importance of building capacity at all levels, as a key to project sustainability. Panelists also shared and discussed their paths to working in global health via such diverse fields as engineering, design, epidemiology, anthropology, linguistics, and social work. The variety of careers represented by passionate Washington University faculty fostered lively discussions among participants, from global health experts with decades of experience in the field to early graduate students just getting started on their global health journey.

Last month, ICHAD launched the Monthly Connection which aims to provide continued support to trainees and fellows by sharing information on training opportunities, funding opportunities, talks and presentations, upcoming conferences and calls for submissions, and more. The Monthly Connection with relevant information is sent bi-monthly via email and can also be found on the ICHAD website at: https://ichad.wustl.edu/capacity-building-connection/. To add an event or join the mailing list to receive updates and reminders, please contact Laura Peer at Lpeer@wustl.edu.

FELLOWS CORNER

Dr. Leslie Adams is a fellow in the Researcher Resilience Training (RRT) Program in the 2020/21 cohort. She is working with her mentor, Dr. Sean Joe, Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor of Social Development, Associate Dean for Faculty and Research, and RRT Program Co-Director, on the project Real-time assessments of suicidality among Black men: A mixed methods project. Their project focuses on the need for more robust evidence to predict risk and prevent suicide among Black men. This research is critical in light of the rising rates of suicide completion in this population. According to Dr. Adams, “The goal of the study is to better understand the role and influence of proximal and race-related stressors prior to suicidal ideation among young adult Black men.” Despite the restrictions in travel and personal contact due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project is making progress and will begin the data collection stage in 2021.

Dr. Adams has published several papers this year investigating global and U.S.-based mental health disparities, including as first author on the paper Dimensionality and differential item endorsement of depressive symptoms among aging Black populations in South Africa: Findings from the HAALSI study. In sharing her experience in the intensive summer training program, Dr. Adams affirms, “the opportunity to dialogue with peers that have similar interest in child behavioral health and the African Diaspora was a really valuable experience. I enjoyed the informal check-ins and the work-in-progress presentations at the end of the fellowship.”

Dr. Justine Namuli is a fellow in the first cohort of the CHILD-Global Research Fellowship Program (CHILD-GRF). Dr. Namuli is currently working on the project, The burden, types, perceptions of HIV stigma and associated factors among HIV-infected children and adolescents in Uganda, with her mentor, Dr. Janet Nakigudde, Behavioral Scientist and Lecturer in the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University. Recognizing a lack of assessment tools validated for use among this population in Uganda, Dr. Namuli and her research team will investigate whether and how child poverty is interconnected with HIV/AIDS inflicted stigma.

In addition to participating in the intensive summer training program and making progress on her research project, Dr. Namuli has been taking advantage of additional virtual training and professional development opportunities in child and adolescent and global mental health. She has also published two papers including Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) use and associated factors among HIV-infected children and adolescents seeking mental health services in Uganda. Dr. Namuli and her cohort of CHILD-GRF fellows are currently completing a Responsible Conduct in Research training series as part of a productive first seven months of their three-year training appointments.

This year’s Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting featured several ICHAD training program trainees, fellows, and alumni. Held on November 16-20, the theme was “Leading Critical Conversations: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” and featured three ICHAD fellows:

Tyriesa Howell, PhD, was a LEAD trainee in the summer 2020 cohort. She participated in a panel discussion, “Shifting Sexual and Reproductive Health Narratives of Black Adolescents and Young Adults.” Dr. Howell also served as co-chair of the African Americans and the African Diaspora track for the annual program meeting.

Hussain Lateef, PhD, RRT Fellow, presented a poster, “Ukuba Ngumuntu: Black Youths’ Association of African Centered Self-Regard With Ethnic Identity.”

Latoya Small, PhD, RRT Fellow, co-facilitated an interactive workshop, “Cultural Humility: An Inclusive Framework for Working With Black Women with Depression.”

SOCIAL CORNER

ICHAD team toasts to a happy Thanksgiving holiday during a weekly staff meeting on Zoom.

PUBLICATIONS

Congratulations to Dr. Proscovia Nabunya, PhD, Christopher Damulira, William Byansi, Joelynn Muwanga, Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar, PhD, Flavia Namuwonge, Eloho Ighofose, Dr. Rachel Brathwaite, PhD, Wilberforce Tumwesige and Dr. Fred Ssewamala, PhD, on the acceptance of their paper “Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms Among High School Adolescent Girls in Southern Uganda” for publication in BMC Public Health Journal. This paper examined the prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms among high school adolescent girls (N=1260) in southern Uganda. Results indicate that, of the total sample, 16.35% (n=206) reported severe depressive symptoms and almost one in every three adolescent girls interviewed (29.68%, n=374) reported moderate symptoms. These symptoms were more prevalent among older adolescents (16 years and above). In addition, family relationships, social support, as well as measures of psychological well-being (self-concept and self-esteem) were all associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Hopelessness was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms among adolescent girls. Findings support increasing calls for early screening and detection of depressive symptoms to facilitate timely referral to care and treatment. Findings may also inform the development and incorporation of gender-specific mental health components in programming targeting adolescent girls, in low-resource communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Congratulations to Drs. Fred Ssewamala, Julia Shu-Huah Wang, Rachel Brathwaite, Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wilson, Torsten B. Neilands, and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn and PhD Student Sicong Sun, on the acceptance of their paper “Impact of a Family Economic Intervention (Bridges) on Health functioning of Adolescents Orphaned by HIV/AIDS: A 5-year (2012-2017) Cluster Randomized 3 Controlled Trial in Uganda” in the American Journal of Public Health. The paper investigated the long-term impacts of families economic intervention on physical, mental, and sexual health of adolescents by AIDS. Using random assignment, a total of n=1383 students were assigned to one of the three conditions outlined in the study: Control (n=487; 16 schools), Bridges (1:1 saving match rate; n=396; 16 schools), Bridges PLUS (2:1 saving match rate; n=500; 16 schools). Findings from the study after 24-months indicated that participants/students in Bridges and Bridges PLUS reported higher physical health scores, lower depressive symptoms, higher self-concept and self-efficacy as compared to the participants in the control group. During the same period, Bridges participants reported lower sexual risk-taking intentions compared to Bridges PLUS and the control group. At 48-months, participants in Bridges and Bridges PLUS reported better self-rated health, higher savings and lower food insecurity. The Bridges PLUS participants reported reduced hopelessness, higher self-concepts and self-efficacy. Overall, Bridges PLUS participants reported higher savings than Bridges participants at 24 and 48 months. The study implies that economic interventions targeting families raising adolescents orphaned by AIDS can have long term positive health outcomes and improve the overall wellbeing of these families.

Congratulations to Emmanuel O. Amoako, ICHAD Research Assistant and Brown School Graduate Fellow for Student Leadership, on his recent publication of “The Role of Community Development in Slum Electrification Efforts in Ashaiman, Ghana,” in the Journal of Social Sciences. Co-authored with Jamal Appiah Kubi, the paper highlights the findings of a qualitative study that explores various stakeholders’ responses to the lack of legal electricity access in Ashaiman slums, Ghana, and the contribution and effectiveness of community development mechanisms to assist slum electrification efforts. Emmanuel, a graduate of the University of Ghana, is a second year MSW student with an emphasis on International Social and Economic Development.

UPCOMING EVENTS

LEAD Global Training Program Application Information Session

Tuesday, December 1, 2020 | 12:00 -1:00 PM (CST) - Virtual Info Session

Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis

Join us on Tuesday, December 1 at 12:00 PM CST for an information session on the LEAD Global Training Program. The LEAD program provides early career researchers from under-represented backgrounds with skills & hands-on experiences needed to lead multi-disciplinary, collaborative research teams focused on mental health disparities research in low-resource communities. This information session will cover the following two programs:

Intensive Summer Program – 10-weeks (June-August 2021) of targeted skills- and knowledge-building didactic seminars, workshops, panels, courses, and discussions; Virtual in 2021
Postdoctoral Research Position – 1 to 2 year appointment to engage in writing publications using study data and proposal development to explore new opportunities related to HIV/AIDS or global mental health disparities

“The Neglected Cornerstone of Global Health, Capacity Building: The Sankofa Experience”

Tuesday, December 8, 2020 | 3:00-4:00 PM (CST) - Virtual Speaker

Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis

ICHAD and SMART Africa have joined the Africa Initiative, Institute for Public Health, and the McDonnell International Scholars Academy at Washington University to co-sponsor the Africa Speaks speaker series. The first speaker in this new series will be Dr. Elijah Paintsil, Professor of Pediatrics, Pharmacology, Epidemiology and Management, Yale School of Medicine; Director of Pediatric AIDS Program at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Paintsil will present “The Neglected Cornerstone of Global Health, Capacity Building: The Sankofa Experience.” Register for the event on the Brown School Open Classroom website.

Save the Dates for Upcoming Speakers!

Spring 2021 speaker events are scheduled from 12:30-1:30 PM (CST). Registration will soon be available via Brown School Open Classroom website.

January 26, 2021

Dr. Theresa Betancourt, ScD, MA, Salem Professor in Global Practice, Boston College School of Social Work

Dr. Vincent Sezibera, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Clinical Psychology, National University in Rwanda

Jean Marie Vianney Havugimana, MBA, FXB Rwanda: Sugira Muryango Program (Research Program on Children and Adversity)

February 16, 2021

Dr. Susan Witte, PhD, Professor of Social Work, Columbia School of Social Work

March 23, 2021

Dr. Elvin Geng, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine

“Quantitative Proxies for Social Norms: Interrogating Clustering, Reference Groups and Validity”

Tuesday, December 8, 2020 | 14:00-15:00 (London UK GMT) - Virtual Webinar

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The Learning Initiative on Norms, Exploitation and Abuse (LINEA) Project will host a virtual webinar on “Quantitative proxies for social norms: Interrogating clustering, reference groups, and validity” on December 8 at 14:00 GMT. LINEA is an international, multi-pronged project testing how social norm theory can be used to reduce the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents (SECA) in regions across the world. In order to quantitatively study the relationship between social norms and intimate partner violence (IPV), a growing number of researchers employ aggregate measures of attitudes or behaviors to serve as proxy measures for descriptive or injunctive norms. However, recent research suggests there is a lack of consistency in how these measures are constructed and interrogated to ensure they are valid representations of a construct that is under normative influence. This study demonstrates techniques researchers can use to explore and proxy for social norms in quantitative data and to identify the relative appropriateness of different normative reference groups available within the data. The webinar will be presented by Ilana Seff, Staff Scientist at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis who is completing her doctorate in public health at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Click here to join the webinar.

“Adaptive Coping and Skills for Health and Public Health Professionals Series: Stress Management and Breathing Retraining”

Thursday, December 3, 2020 | 12:30-1:30 PM (CST) - Virtual Speaker

Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis

Megan D. Keyes, PhD, Founder of Trauma Empowered Consulting and an Adjunct Faculty at the Brown School, will provide an overview of early research findings on the mental health impact of COVID-19 for healthcare professionals. Adaptive coping guidelines for reducing stress and enhancing emotional well-being will be highlighted. The relaxation skill Breathing Retraining will be reviewed and implemented in session. Follow-up discussion will provide participants the opportunity to share their practice experience and have questions addressed. This program is offered in partnership with the Brown School’s Master of Public Health program. Register for the event on the Brown School Open Classroom website.

“Global, Regional and National Response to COVID-19: Protecting and Promoting Mental Health”

Thursday, December 3, 2020 |12:30-14:00 (London UK GMT) - Virtual Lecture

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

In this annual lecture, Dr. Fahmy Hanna, who is leading the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mental health and psychosocial support response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will give a keynote lecture on the global response. The annual lecture includes presentations from Dr. Mohammed Abdulaziz from the Africa CDC, Addis Ababa and Giselle Dass from the University of Colombo and COMGAP-S, Sri Lanka, on the response in their regions. A post-lecture panel discussion will explore the factors that have facilitated and hindered the promotion of mental health. Click here to join the webinar.

“Social Work Science for Social Change”

January 19-22, 2021 - Virtual Conference

Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR)

The SSWR annual conference, hosted by Social Work Science for Social Change, offers a scientific program that reflects a broad range of research interests, from workshops on the latest quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to symposia featuring studies in child welfare, aging, mental health, welfare reform, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS. The conference includes over 500 symposia, workshops, roundtables, paper and poster presentations. Research methods workshops are designed to enhance methods expertise and grant-writing skills and special sessions on research priorities and capacity building that target cutting-edge topics vital to contemporary social work research. For more information, visit the conference website.

OPPORTUNITIES

FELLOWSHIPS

LEAD Global Training Program - Postdoc Position

Rolling Application Deadline

The T37 LEAD Global Training Program is accepting applications for a 1-2 year postdoctoral fellow. The LEAD Global Fellowship program supports trainees from underrepresented groups committed to conducting health disparities research, with a specific focus on global mental health prevention, intervention, services, and implementation research within resource-constrained settings. Eligible candidates should be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or permanent resident, and be from a disadvantaged or underrepresented population in biomedical, behavioral, clinical & social science research as outlined by the NIH. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and can be completed on the T37 LEAD Global Fellowship website at https://sites.wustl.edu/lead/apply/. For more information, contact Laura Peer at lpeer@wustl.edu.

SRCD U.S. Policy Fellowship Programs

Application deadline - January 4, 2021

The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) advances developmental science and promotes its use to improve human lives. The SRCD Federal Policy Fellowship Program includes two types of fellowships, the Congressional Policy Fellowship and the Executive Branch Policy Fellowship. The SRCD State Policy Fellowship Program includes the State Policy Pre-doctoral Fellowship and State Policy Post-doctoral Fellowship. Submission pages for the 2021-2022 SRCD U.S. Policy Fellowship will be open by December 1, 2020. All submissions will be due by Monday, January 4, 2021 at 11:59 PM EST. Find out more about the fellowships here.

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA)

Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research

Application Cycle Ongoing

The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Pre-doctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research award is designed to enhance the diversity of the health-related research workforce by supporting the research training of pre-doctoral students from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research workforce. Through this award program, promising pre-doctoral students will obtain individualized, mentored research training from outstanding faculty sponsors while conducting well-defined research projects in scientific health-related fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers. The proposed mentored research training is expected to clearly enhance the individual's potential to develop into a productive, independent research scientist. See more information here.

CALL FOR PAPERS

The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health will publish a Special Issue on “Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health in Low- and Middle-Income Settings.” ICHAD Co-Director, Dr. Lindsay Stark, DrPh, and Dr. Ilana Seff, Associate Professor at the Brown School at Washington University will serve as Guest Editors. They are especially interested in promoting authors from lower middle income countries, and have a limited amount of vouchers to reduce publication fees. Read more about the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health or submit a manuscript for the Special Issue online. The submission deadline is September 2021.

The Global Social Welfare Journal brings together research that informs the fields of global social work, social development, and social welfare policy and practice. It serves as an outlet for manuscripts and brief reports of interdisciplinary applied research that advance knowledge about global threats to the well-being of individuals, groups, families, and communities. Submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed by experts in the field. Read more about the Global Social Welfare Journal or submit a manuscript now through the Manuscript Submission Portal.

EXTERNAL JOB OPPORTUNITES

Diversity Fellow, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Research Program on Children and Adversity, School of Social Work, Boston College

Evaluation Coordinator, Brown School Evaluation Center, Washington University in St. Louis

Postdoctoral Diversity Supplement Candidates, Expanding the Reach of Evidence-based Mental Health Interventions, Boston College School of Social Work

Program Manager, Rwanda, Research Program on Children and Adversity, School of Social Work, Boston College

Research Assistant, Brown School Evaluation Center, Washington University in St. Louis

Research Associate, Kigali, Rwanda (Implementation Science), Research Program on Children and Adversity, School of Social Work, Boston College

Research Scientist, Boston, MA. US for Sugira Muryango (SM): A Family Strengthening Intervention for Early Childhood Development and Violence Prevention project based in Rwanda, Research Program on Children and Adversity, Boston College

Global Health Council Job Board

FUNDING OPPORTUNITES

Availability of Administrative Supplements and Urgent Competitive Revisions for Research on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus and the Behavioral and Social Sciences, 3/31/21

Availability of Administrative Supplements and Urgent Competitive Revisions for Mental Health Research on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, 4/15/21