Building the Capacity of Young Professionals in Family Planning to Publish: Insights from the ICFP2022 WHO Scientific Writing, Mentoring and Coaching Course.

Objectives: We describe the development, delivery, and evaluation of a program to support junior professionals to publish their work in a scientific journal.

Study Design: Conference delegates with an accepted abstract at the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP), self-identifying as junior professionals and from a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) or working predominantly in LMIC settings, were eligible for the program. The program involved: (i) Four face-to-face workshops at ICFP from the 14 to 17 of November 2022; (ii) mentoring meetings at ICFP; (iii) a six-month post-conference online coaching program; and (iv) post-conference learning webinars from December 2022 to May 2023.

Integrating Youth Readiness Intervention and Entrepreneurship in Sierra Leone: A Hybrid Type II Cluster Randomized Trial.

Objective: Conflict-affected youth are at risk for poor psychological and social outcomes, yet few receive mental health services. Strategies to expand access and sustain evidence-based interventions (EBIs) across novel delivery platforms must be tested. The present study was a hybrid type II implementation-effectiveness trial using a cluster randomized design.

The adaptation of a youth mental health intervention to a peer-delivery model utilizing CBPR methods and the ADAPT-ITT framework in Sierra Leone.

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) carry a significant proportion of the global burden of untreated mental health disorders. Peer-delivered programs offer LMICs with limited mental health professionals an opportunity to increase mental health service access. This study describes the process of adapting a lay-worker-delivered evidence-based youth mental health intervention to a peer-delivery model in Sierra Leone using participatory methods.

Alternative Delivery Platforms for Expanding Evidence-based Mental Health Interventions for Youth in Sierra Leone: A Pilot Study.

Given the high rates of mental health problems and poor service access among youth in war-affected countries throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, incorporating evidence-based mental health interventions into alternative delivery platforms could improve service access in these settings. We conducted a randomized controlled pilot study with high-risk Sierra Leonean youth to investigate the feasibility of implementing the Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI), a cognitive behavioral and interpersonal therapy-based group intervention, within an employment promotion program (EPP) and preliminary effects of the YRI on mental health outcomes. Participants were 175 youth (females=62%) ages 18-30 recruited via flyers and radio announcements.

Investigating Outcomes of a Family Strengthening Intervention for Resettled Somali Bantu and Bhutanese Refugees: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study.

Pre- and post-migration stressors can put resettled refugee children at risk of poor mental health outcomes. The Family Strengthening Intervention for Refugees (FSI-R) is a peer-delivered preventative home visiting program for resettled refugees that aims to draw upon families' strengths to foster improved family communication, positive parenting, and caregiver-child relationships, with the ultimate goal of reducing children's risk of mental health problems. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study draws upon qualitative interviews with caregivers (n = 19) and children (n = 17) who participated in a pilot study of the FSI-R intervention in New England, as well as interventionists (n = 4), to unpack quantitative findings on mental health and family functioning from a randomized pilot study (n = 80 families).

The mental, reproductive, and physical health impacts of female children's association with armed forces and groups.

Background: Globally, over 300,000 children are being used in armed groups, including young girls some as young as eight years old. These young girls often called female children associated with armed groups and armed forces (CAAFAG), are exposed to high levels of violence and experience extensive abuse.

Objective: This review aimed to understand the unique health consequences of association on female CAAFAG and the factors associated with their increased health vulnerability.

Family-Based Mental Health Promotion for Somali Bantu and Bhutanese Refugees: Feasibility and Acceptability Trial.

Purpose: There are disparities in mental health of refugee youth compared with the general U.S.

Population: We conducted a pilot feasibility and acceptability trial of the home-visiting Family Strengthening Intervention for refugees (FSI-R) using a community-based participatory research approach.

Advancing Cancer Research in Africa Through Early-Career Awards: The BIG Cat Initiative.

Purpose: The burden of cancer in Africa is growing rapidly, and increased cancer research on the continent is a critical component of an effective response. In 2010, the US National Cancer Institute, in partnership with the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer, launched the Beginning Investigator Grant for Catalytic Research (BIG Cat) initiative to support cancer research projects conducted by early-career African investigators.

Methods: To date, BIG Cat has provided 18 awards of up to $50,000 to support 2-year cancer research projects.