Abstract
BackgroundDespite advances in the evidence base and scaling up of mental health and psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents affected by conflict and adversity, a theory-practice gap remains, with limited translation of research findings to affected communities.MethodsIn order to disseminate findings from a review on mental health and coping for children and adolescents, a psychoeducational comic book ‘Somoud’ was developed and piloted with adolescents and their caregivers in Lebanon, using a qualitative Grounded Theory approach.ResultsIn total, 10 participants (5 adolescents, 5 parents), took part in the study. Using Thematic Content Analysis, 6 themes were identified; 1) psychoeducation versus misinterpretation, 2) balancing depth with accessibility, 3) aesthetic appeal, 4) contextual relevance and realism, 5) daily stressors, and 6) parental and social relationships.ConclusionsThe findings demonstrate the importance of cultural and contextual piloting of psychoeducational content, and the potential usefulness and accessibility of a comic book format to disseminate information to adolescents. Data from the pilot was used to inform the development of a new version of ‘Somoud’ for sharing with adolescents in Lebanon. Further research is required to establish the effectiveness of the psychoeducational book as a ‘self-help’ tool, and to further improve knowledge exchange between researchers and communities.
Highlights
Despite advances in the evidence base and scaling up of mental health and psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents affected by conflict and adversity, a theory-practice gap remains, with limited translation of research findings to affected communities
This study aimed to explore the acceptability of a novel psychoeducational dissemination tool, a comic book entitled ‘Somoud,’ with a sample of adolescents facing adversity, and their caregivers, in Lebanon
The research questions were 1) to what extent do adolescents and their caregivers feel that the book improves their knowledge of common psychological reactions to adversity and positive coping strategies? 2) to what extent do adolescents and their caregivers feel that the book format and content is acceptable, understandable, and likeable? 3) in what ways do adolescents and their caregivers feel the book could be improved in format or content? and 4) what are the areas that children, adolescents, and their caregivers, feel they need to know more about or that the book should address?
Summary
Despite advances in the evidence base and scaling up of mental health and psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents affected by conflict and adversity, a theory-practice gap remains, with limited translation of research findings to affected communities. Systematic reviews of MHPSS and health systems in low and middle income countries or humanitarian contexts have consistently highlighted the poor translation of research findings into practice in the field, and inversely, academics’ poor engagement with local services, communities, and affected populations [5, 7]. This is exacerbated by the measurement of research impact using. Direct and immediate access to health information is relevant in countries and populations where there are major structural barriers in accessing health services [11]
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