Adapting the Friendship Bench to Black Communities in London

This research project aims to understand how the team can adapt or change an existing intervention called the Friendship Bench and Inuka Coaching to better meet the needs of Black communities, that have widely been found to have worse mental health treatment experiences and outcomes.

The Friendship Bench was originally developed in Zimbabwe, and offers in-person problem-solving therapy that is provided by trained members of the community. The intervention provides a culturally responsive and accessible intervention that empowers communities to take control of their mental health and well-being. Inuka Coaching is the digital version of the intervention – however the problems solving therapy is delivered anonymously online by trained members of the community.

This intervention is anticipated to be helpful because there is evidence to show that interventions that include community-led, and non-specialist delivery features, were found to be among effective mental health interventions for ethnic minorities in the UK.

This project is led by Professor Dixon Chibanda, who developed the Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe, and co-led by Asmae Doukani, whom are both based at the university of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Requirements:

• Aged 18 years, or older.
• Black, Black British, Caribbean Black African or Black mixed
• Able to read, write and comprehend English
• Are willing to discuss personal mental health concerns

Expected commitment from participants:

• Engage in one-off interviews to understand the suitability of the Friendship bench and Inuka Coaching, for Black communities in the UK – this will either be one-on-one (individual interview) or in a group context (focus group interviews).
• Interviews are expected to approximately last between 30 to 45 minutes for individual interviews and 60-90 minutes for focus group interviews.
• Appointments will also include completing consent forms, and a participant information form, therefore you will be booked in for 1.5 hours for individual interviews or 2 hours for focus group discussions, however appointments are likely to take less time.

Commitment to inclusion:

• The team aims to set up a briefing to go over the project, provide key information to facilitate the Lived Experience Advisors’ role, and explore how the project team can support advisors within their role further.

Closing date to apply:

28^th February 2025

How to apply:

Please email Asmae Doukani at asmae.doukani@lshtm.ac.uk if you are interested in participating in the study. Please also confirm your:

• Age
• That you are from a Black, Black British, Caribbean Black African or Black mixed ethnic group.
• Your gender (optional – this is used to ensure that we involve a diverse range of participants).