Measuring how easy it is to get mental health care in Nigeria
Developing and Evaluating a Perceived Access Metric for Global Mental Health
Researchers are making a short, easy-to-use survey to learn how people with depression or anxiety in Ibadan, Nigeria experience getting mental health care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11407699 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked about your experiences finding and using mental health services in Ibadan, including what helped or got in the way. The team will interview people with depression or anxiety, their caregivers, and local clinicians to identify common barriers. They will use those interviews to create and test a simple questionnaire that measures perceived access to care, checking that it works reliably for local communities. The project also trains early-career Nigerian researchers so the work can continue and be used by local health systems.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults in Ibadan, Nigeria who are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety would be the main people invited to take part.
Not a fit: People without mental health needs, or those living outside the Ibadan area or Nigeria, would not directly benefit from participating in this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give governments and clinics a trusted way to track and improve access to mental health services.
How similar studies have performed: Psychometric surveys are a common and trusted method, but few validated tools currently measure perceived access to mental health care in Nigerian or similar settings, so this work applies established methods to a new context.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- University of Washington — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fortney, John C. — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Fortney, John C.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.