Strengthening Mental Health in Conflict Zones: A Conversation with Dr. Nawaraj Upadhaya
In this episode of the Conflict Tipping Podcast, host Laura May interviews Dr. Nawaraj Upadhaya, Global Mental Health Director at HealthRight International. Dr. Upadhaya shares about his experience developing and implementing a WHO-associated Self-Help Plus intervention in Uganda and Sudan, targeting individuals dealing with mild to moderate stress. The intervention uses techniques based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness and is delivered by lay health workers who need only a week's training. Dr. Upadhaya further elaborates on the intersection of mental health and conflict, the ethical dilemmas faced when working in conflict zones, and the need to care for frontline workers. He discusses how his personal background and experiences inform his work. Dr. Upadhaya's approach aims to empower individuals in difficult situations to find resilience and make positive changes in their lives.
00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation
01:16 Understanding the Self-Help Plus Intervention
04:29 The Impact of the Intervention on Participants
07:25 The Power of Resilience in Conflict Zones
08:25 The Process of Implementing the Intervention
14:22 The Future of the Intervention
28:52 The Role of Mental Health in Conflict
31:57 Ethical Considerations in Conflict Work
34:17 Caring for the Carers: Staff Wellbeing
35:27 Conclusion and Contact Information
=======================
Dr Nawaraj Upadhaya, PhD, is a public health researcher and mental health system specialist. He is currently working as Global Mental Health Director at HealthRight International, New York, USA where he provides strategic and technical support in mental health and psychosocial support programming. Dr Upadhaya is also associated with the Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark as Associate Researcher.
He has over 18 years’ experience in community health, mental health and public health systems. He has experiences of working in humanitarian settings in Afghanistan, Burundi, Nepal, Uganda and South Sudan. He has also supported the programmes in Kenya, Vietnam, Ukraine and the USA. He co-directed the scaling up grant on Self Help Plus (SH+) in Uganda and also coordinated the Nepal program for a large multicountry consortium project called Emerging Mental Health Systems in Low- and- Middle Income Countries (EMERALD). He also coordinated the Post Research Ethics Analysis (PREA) project in Afghanistan, Nepal and South Sudan.
Dr Upadhaya’s work focuses on community mobilisation, community system strengthening, mental health systems, community mental health and policy engagement. He has published more than 30 papers in international journals and contributed in book chapters and manuals.
https://healthright.org/profile/nawaraj-upadhaya-phd-msc/
Researching the end of the (peacebuilding) world as we know it with Dr Julia Palmiano Federer [Ep. 31]
Ubuntu in practice with Bryony Vince [Ep. 30]
Conflict prevention math with Neli Kirilova [Ep. 29]
Nonviolence and Unarmed Civilian Protection with Dr Louise Ridden [Ep. 27]
Protecting people over tech platforms with Anne Ikiara of Digital Action [Ep. 26]
Queering the Colombian conflict with Dr Samuel Ritholtz [Ep. 25]
Getting enough sleep and time travelling with Dr Patricia Cernadas Curotto [Ep. 24]
When political parties polarise, with Dr Morgan Le Corre Juratic [Ep. 23]
Empathy across political divides with Luiza Almeida Santos [Ep. 22]
The Rise of the Masses with Dr Benjamin Abrams [Ep. 21]
Transforming cultures in and outside the workplace with David Liddle MBA [Ep. 20]
Reincorporating combatants in Colombia with Dr. Solveig Richter and Laura Camila Barrios Sabogal [Ep. 19]
Cancer, conflict, and digital technologies in peace mediation with Dr. Miguel Varela Rodriguez [Ep. 18]
Making lives more complex (and democratic) with Dr. Shannon Wheatley Hartman [Ep. 17]
Accents, inclusion, and migration with Dr. Zdena Mtetwa-Middernacht [Ep. 16]
Gender, conflict, and saving pandas with Brianna Hernandez [Ep. 15]
Integrating collective trauma with Adrian Wagner [Ep. 14]
Gender, climate change, and conflict with Laura Aumeer [Ep. 13]
Brains, conflict, and democracy with Dr. Sebastian F. Winter, MD [Ep. 12]
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL