Strengthening Mental Health Program Development for VIDAWASI in the Sacred Valley Region of Peru
Strengthening Mental Health Program Development for VIDAWASI in the Sacred Valley Region of Peru
Project overview
This project was one of the first in the partnership between the Duke Global Health Institute and VIDAWASI Peru, a nonprofit in the Sacred Valley Region of Peru aiming to decentralize healthcare services in the country. This project aimed to identify the current status of self concept and mental health, as well as the social determinants (SDOH) that impact these outcomes, among students (ages 15-18) served by Sr. de Torrechayoc Public School and VIDAWASI in Urubamba, Peru. An internally developed survey was administered for SDOH along with validated measures for self concept and depression, anxiety, and stress. There was also a focus on jointly designing mental health related workshops to boost awareness of the topic among adolescents and parents at the school. Recommendations for Vidawasi's future work include conducting more standardized mental health screenings during health campaigns, language inclusive workshops in Quechua and Spanish, and implementing transdiagnostic approaches via training for teachers and other school employees
Project notes
Thank you to Dr. Ernesto Ortiz, Lysa Mackeen, and Emilee Kerr from the Duke Global Health Institute for their continued guidance throughout the project process. Additionally, thank you to Dr. Sumi Ariely for mentoring me through previous fieldwork and adjusting me to GH research methods! A huge thank you to the Office of University Scholars & Fellows for funding the experience.
Dr. Andrea Mimbela, Antuanet Farfan Gamarra, Ana Patricia Mamani Guzman, Sol Karina Cabrera Aragón (medical/psych team at Vidawasi), and all of the interns from Norbert Weiner & Cayetano University were so helpful and welcoming me to the Vidawasi community. Their help and support was key in our work.
In the media and resources section, you can access:
- A sample questionnaire—this contains the consent and internally developed social determinants survey, a copy of the DASS-21 (depression, anxiety, stress) scale, and a copy of the CAG (self concept) scale.
- A sample workshop—this contains the slides for a workshop that I worked with Vidawasi to develop and conduct, focused on psychoeducation for students in the secondary school.
Media and resources
Last updated on October 7, 2024