Co-designing culturally sensitive youth-centred mental health services in Malawi with young people and stakeholders

Substance abuse which includes harmful drinking and drug use among young people in Malawi is on the rise. Like many African countries, Malawi faces treatment gaps and severe workforce shortages, leading to substance abuse being managed under the broad category of mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders within under-resourced mental health services. Only 2% of Malawi’s health budget is allocated to mental health, and there are virtually no specialist services for children and adolescents. As a result, young people with MNS disorders are disproportionately affected and underserved. This reflects a broader global trend in which African populations are systematically underserved by mental health services. My project will explore how to establish much-needed youth-friendly mental health services in Malawi by: 1) conducting a situation analysis of existing infrastructure; 2) using participatory action research (PAR) with adolescents and caregivers to explore community-level understanding of substance abuse; and 3) co-designing a culturally relevant intervention framework with young people to appropriately address mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders. The Wellcome Accelerator Award will support my mid-career researcher progression, consolidating findings from my previous research with this proposed project to inform culturally grounded mental health interventions for young Africans locally and globally.