Skip to main content
Wolfson Institute of Population Health

Atmiyata East London

Empowering Newham communities to reduce mental ill health by piloting an evidence-based model from India

  1. WIPH
  2. Centres
  3. Centre for Psychiatry and Mental Health
  4. Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry
  5. Atmiyata East London

About the project

In this collaborative project, we aim to strengthen community-level mental health support by adapting and piloting a programme that was developed and tested in India called Atmiyata. Atmiyata involves training and mentoring purposively selected community members as community champions, who work with existing networks to bring mental health care out of the health system and into the community, using a psychosocial paradigm of distress that engages with social determinants of mental health. This approach draws on existing social capital in communities, contributes to the democratisation of mental health, and is complementary to existing mental health services, facilitating referrals for those who need professional support.

Over three years, we will conduct community-based participatory research, drawing on the framework and principles of Atmiyata, to develop a community-level mental health initiative that is relevant for the Newham context. We will then pilot the model to assess its feasibility and acceptability. If the pilot is successful, this will lay the groundwork for a future trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the model in reducing symptoms of common mental disorder. 

Our aim is that by the end of the project, this work will lead to:

  1. More culturally appropriate psychosocial support for people experiencing psychological distress in Newham, resulting in reduced symptoms, less need for professional mental health services, fewer adverse outcomes, and improved quality of life.
  2. Improved economic incomes for people experiencing financial hardship in Newham.
  3. Increased detection of community members with CMD and severe mental illness, with improved pathways to care, leading to earlier intervention (i.e. reduced duration of untreated illness for those who do need professional care) and reduced inequalities in access to care and outcomes.
  4. Increased confidence, skills and career opportunities for participating champions.
  5. Increased social capital and community cohesion within target neighbourhoods.
  6. Stronger connections between ELFT, Newham Council, community partners and academics working in Newham.
  7. A novel and potentially cost-effective approach to strengthening informal community care, to be evaluated in future trials.
  8. A competitive grant proposal for a stepped wedge randomised controlled trial based on strong formative research and pilot data as well as established community partnerships and local knowledge, to test effectiveness of this approach in reducing/preventing CMD in East London.

Project Leads

Tessa Roberts (Queen Mary University of London)

Jasmine Kalha (Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy)

Rozina Iqbal (Newham Community Project)

Project partners

  • Newham Community Project
  • Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy
  • Newham Council
  • East London NHS Foundation Trust
  • Queen Mary University of London

Funding

This project is funded by a Barts Charity research project grant (project G-002978).

 

 

Get in touch

If you would like to hear more about the project or get involved, please contact Tessa Roberts at tessa.roberts@qmul.ac.uk

Back to top