"Atlanta Is Like Wakanda… but With Real Big, Big Issues": A Focus Group Study of Community Strengths and Health Issues in Diverse Groups in Atlanta, Georgia.

Background And Objectives: This qualitative study explored perceived community strengths and health issues among 3 underserved and under-studied populations in the Atlanta, Georgia-older adults, Black or African American persons, and refugees/immigrants/migrants.

Methods: Eight focus groups were conducted with 92 participants who were members of the 3 populations in Atlanta between November 2022 and March 2023.

Results: Although there were variations among groups, all groups emphasized diversity within their community as the foundation of community strength.

Towards a better understanding of attitudes and beliefs held by traditional healers and recipients of traditional medicine concerning mental health conditions in post-conflict Liberia: a qualitative investigation.

Background: A better understanding of attitudes and beliefs held by traditional healers and utilizers of traditional medicine concerning mental health conditions in Liberia is important as Liberia seeks to improve its delivery of mental healthcare in the context of scarce resources and recovery from civil war.

Methods: A qualitative research design was used to collect data from 24 Liberian traditional healers, and 11 utilizers of Liberian traditional medicine. Participants were queried about mental health problems in Liberia, treatments, and attitudes towards modern healthcare.

The HEAAL Project: Applying Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Methodology in a Health and Mental Health Needs Assessment With an African Immigrant and Refugee Faith Community in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Community-based participatory research methodology is driven by community interests and rooted in community involvement throughout the research process. This article describes the use of community-based participatory research methodology in the HEAAL project (Health and Mental Health Education and Awareness for Africans in Lowell), a research collaboration between Christ Jubilee International Ministries-a nondenominational Christian church in Lowell, Massachusetts, that serves an African immigrant and refugee congregation-and the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry. The objective of the HEAAL project was to better understand the nature, characteristics, scope, and magnitude of health and mental health issues in this faith community.