What am I doing this summer?

I am heading to India on Thursday. Crazy I know! Two weeks at home have passed so rapidly! But I am psyched for the journey. I got my malaria pills, my new camera, and enthusiasm for my research. I was skeptical of blogging but I hope the pictures I take will give sketches of my experience in India, whether it's observing NGOs or visiting my cousin's new baby girl! Hope you enjoy and feel free to comment!

Research:

This summer, I will be testing the hypothesis that non-specialist health workers (NSHW) can be effective in delivering mental health care. The aim is thus to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of NSHW involvement in mental healthcare in low resource settings to better inform the process of health system organization and delivery of mental health services at primary care and community levels. The proposed project examines the effectiveness of NSHW in mental healthcare in government and non-governmental primary and community mental healthcare initiatives in India.

To address the research objectives, quantitative, historical and qualitative methods will draw on several data sources. I will be assisting my research mentor, Dr. Nadja van Ginneken and Professor Vikram Patel of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in conducting ethnographic observations and interviews at NGOs and Government Hospitals in Karnataka, India. I will also analyze the observations and interviews to arrive at a conclusion on the effectiveness of NSHW.