Professor Sandra Jovchelovitch (LSE) joins a new project which aims to deliver effective mental health services for communities in Colombia deeply affected by more than five decades of armed-conflict.
STARS-C, jointly funded by ESRC/UKRI (UK) and Minciencias (Colombia), will see researchers and experts from University College London (UCL), London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, working directly with affected communities to design and strengthen mental health care systems, resulting in a comprehensive toolkit that can be used to scale-up provisions across communities.
Participatory intervention is an important step towards improving mental health outcomes for communities in Colombia, leveraging local knowledge and experiences to build effective and sustainable solutions.
PBS's Professor Sandra Jovchelovitch, who joins the partnership with extensive experience in social and community development and mental health, says:
“I am absolutely delighted to be collaborating with colleagues in the UK and Colombia in this exciting research partnership designed to improve mental health services in communities most affected by the Colombian armed conflict. Our research will bring together for the first time local communities and mental health systems in a much needed dialogue for creating services that are inclusive and effective for all.”
“Starting from the bottom: Using Participatory Action Research to re-imagine local mental health services in Colombia” (STARS-C) will take place over a 28-month period from February 2021 to June 2023.
Visit the STARS-C website for more information.