Peer-reviewed article
Implementation science in global health settings: Collaborating with governmental & community partners in Uganda
Mary M. McKay, Ozge Sensoy Bahar, Fred M. Ssewamala ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This paper describes an implementation science approach to addressing mental health challenges among children in Uganda, where one in five children experience mental health problems including disruptive behavior disorders. Researchers used the PRISM framework to engage community and government partners in a collaborative, longitudinal study to test and adapt evidence-based practices for improving youth behavioral health. The paper emphasizes the importance of sustained stakeholder engagement, meeting local needs, and rapid translation of findings into policy recommendations for scaling and sustaining interventions.
Key points
- One in five children in Uganda present mental health challenges, including disruptive behavior disorders
- Existing mental health services in Uganda are severely under-equipped, with evidence-based practices remaining scarce
- Implementation scientists should invest time in stakeholder engagement and sustain collaborative relationships throughout the research process
- Research science must address felt needs among stakeholders to ensure uptake and sustainability of evidence-based practices
- Collaboration with communities and governments is critical for adaptation, uptake, scalability, and sustainability of evidence-based interventions
Limitations
This paper describes implementation science methodology and collaborative strategies but does not present outcome data or results from the Uganda study itself. The document does not provide specific findings about the effectiveness of the adapted evidence-based practice being tested.
Abstract
Approximately 450 million people, many of whom live in poverty and are from low and middle-income countries (LMICs), experience serious mental health challenges. Children in sub-Saharan Africa comprise half of the total regional population, yet existing mental health services are severely under-equipped to meet their needs and evidence-based practices (EBPs) are scarce. In Uganda, one in five children present mental health challenges, including disruptive behavior disorders. Guided by the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability (PRISM) framework, this paper describes the strategies by which we have engaged community and government partners to invest in a collaborative, longitudinal study in Uganda aimed at improving youth behavioral health outcomes by testing a collaboratively adapted EBP. We emphasize that implementation scientists should be prepared and willing to invest time and effort engaging key stakeholders and sustain relationships through a full range of collaborative activities; ensure that their science meets a felt need among the stakeholders; and translate their research findings rapidly into accessible and actionable policy recommendations. Finally, we highlight that collaboration with global communities and governments plays a critical role in the adaptation, uptake, scalability, and sustainability of EBPs, and that the process of engagement and collaboration can be guided by conceptual frameworks.