O-48 Strengthening indigenous community mental health capacity in Dominica: an mhGAP-Informed training in the implementation of a multisectoral programme to improve Indigenous AdolesCenT mental health

Methods: Training was developed through participatory World Café consultations with community stakeholders in October 2024. Caregivers (n=21), including nurses, teachers, community health workers, and parents, received 21 hours of training focused on mental health identification, referral pathways, risk recognition, and advocacy. Adolescents (n=12, ages 10–18) received 10 hours of age-appropriate training emphasising mental health literacy, peer support, and help-seeking behaviours. Training was delivered in-person by a multidisciplinary team comprising Dominica’s Chief Psychiatrist and a senior social worker. Evaluation employed qualitative thematic synthesis of participant feedback, trainer observations, and verbatim discussions.

Results: Participants demonstrated enhanced knowledge of priority mental health conditions and a clearer understanding of community-based identification, referral, and support roles. Facilitators included strong community cohesion, experiential knowledge, and meaningful youth engagement. Barriers included persistent stigma, culturally embedded spiritual explanatory models of mental illness, and significant systemic gaps in social work and child protection capacity.

Conclusion: mhGAP-informed training is feasible and valuable for strengthening mental health capacity in Indigenous Caribbean communities when culturally adapted. However, effectiveness requires integrated investment in policy frameworks and social services.