Addis Ababa University

Mekdes is a mental health professional specialist who holds a BSc degree in Comprehensive Nursing from University of Gonder, Ethiopia and a MSc in Integrated Clinical and Community Mental Health (ICCMH) from Jima University, Ethiopia. She has experience working with people with mental illness. Mekdes is currently a PhD fellow in Mental Health Epidemiology at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.

Her PhD focuses on adapting and piloting a psychosocial intervention for Bipolar disorder that can be delivered by non-specialist health care workers in integrated health care settings in Ethiopia. Bipolar disorder is mood disorder categorised under severe mental illness and has high health, social and economic burden. In low and middle income countries (LMICs) these consequences are exacerbated by a large treatment gap. Psychosocial interventions have demonstrated efficacy in preventing relapse and improving outcomes compared to pharmacotherapy alone. However, in LMICs, evidence about adaptation, effectiveness, and implementation of contextually appropriate psychosocial intervention is rare.  Therefore, the aim of her PhD is to adapt a model scalable psychosocial intervention for bipolar disorder in Ethiopia. 

Supervisors:  

Dr Abebaw Fedadu, Addis Ababa University

Dr Charlotte Hanlon, Addis Ababa University and King's College London

Dr Lauren Ng, King's College London

Dr Rosie Mayston, King's College London