THE MENTAL HEALTH CO-DESIGN WORKSHOP

The University of Dodoma, in collaboration with Africa Academy for Public Health (AAPH), is taking the lead in spearheading the co-design of mental health interventions for adolescents and young people in sub-Saharan Africa. A two-day workshop was organized in Chamwino, Dodoma region, Tanzania with the first day focusing on 30 adolescents and young people aged 10 to 24. The second day brought together a diverse group of participants; six adolescents from the first session and 12 adults including teachers, religious leaders, lo cal government officials, and parents. The workshop received technical support from DASH Network partners - Justine Bukenya from Uganda and Esther Rugendo from Kenya.

The workshop's successfully laid a foundation for developing potential mental health literacy interventions tailored to adolescents and young people in sub-Saharan Africa. These interventions are set to be implemented in Tanzania and other DASH Network site countries. The collaborative approach in engaging young and adult stakeholders ensures that the proposed interventions are relevant, culturally appropriate, and responsive to the unique needs of the target population.

The outputs from these workshops will serve as critical tools used to guide future actions and interventions aimed at improving mental health literacy among adolescents and young people in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.