Research project

Improving management of post-traumatic stress in orphans and vulnerable children in Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda.

Research groups:
Lead researchers:

Dr Sara Morgan,

Professor Mary Barker
Other researchers:

Dr Merlin Willcox
Status:

Not active

Project overview

Eunice is a co-investigator on the above-named project funded by Worldwide Universities Network. The project is a multi-country study with study sites in Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda. This exploratory qualitative study will involve collection of data from adults and children through in-depth interviews.

The findings will provide initial evidence to inform the development, pilot and evaluation of an intervention to improve the management of PTSD and other mental health issues among OVCs in Africa.

Staff

Lead researchers

Dr Sara Morgan

Associate Professor

Research interests

Health inequalities
Violence Prevention
Social Epidemiology

Connect with Sara

Email: S.A.Morgan@soton.ac.uk

Professor Mary Barker PhD, C Psychol

Prof of Psychology & Behavioural Science

Research interests

Mary Barker is Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Science. She has a joint appointment in both the Faculty of Medicine and the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton UK. Mary runs a programme of work in both the UK and in low-income countries aiming to engage young people in improving their sense of agency, well-being and mental health, to benefit their health in general but their diets and physical activity habits more specifically. Her team’s approach is participatory and combines social activism focused on engaging young people in the climate change and health agenda and testing methods of one-to-one support and digital resources including smartphone games. Much of this work takes place as part of her NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research EACH-B (Engaging Adolescents in Changing Behaviour). She partners in this activity with the TALENT network of colleagues with interests in adolescent health and well-being based in institutions in low-and-middle-income countries. Her team also ran a five-country, longitudinal qualitative study with young people throughout the pandemic exploring their experience, mental health, well-being and resilience, data from which supported UK local and national government COVID messaging to young people. She is adjunct professor at the University of Agder, Norway, and has honorary appointments at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, and University College London.

Connect with Mary

Email: meb@mrc.soton.ac.uk