Building capacity for cognitive behavioral therapy delivery for depression in disaster-impacted contexts

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Disparities
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Disaster Mental Health

Background:

• Implementing evidence-based practices like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) faces significant barriers in resource-limited, ethnically diverse, and disaster-affected communities experiencing mental health disparities.
• Community-academic participatory partnerships offer a viable strategy to bridge these gaps by delivering culturally relevant, evidence-based depression care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a model for building capacity to deliver CBT for depression in post-disaster community settings.
• To evaluate the impact of a training program on therapist-reported practices.
• To identify lessons learned for disseminating and sustaining evidence-based interventions in disaster-impacted communities.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and dissemination of CBT knowledge.
• A community-academic collaborative was established in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

Main Results:

• The implemented model proved feasible and acceptable for delivering CBT in community settings.
• The training program successfully disseminated knowledge about CBT among community providers.
• Community providers demonstrated the capacity for implementing evidence-based practices and leadership over two years.

Conclusions:

• The developed model is effective in building capacity for evidence-based depression care in post-disaster, low-resource settings.
• Lessons learned from this initiative can inform strategies to overcome barriers in disseminating and sustaining interventions in similar contexts.
• Community-academic partnerships are crucial for addressing mental health disparities and promoting local leadership in underserved areas.