The BMI recognizes the importance of the community in mental health, and works to facilitate the transfer of research-informed care and education to community settings. We use innovations in evaluation and big data analysis to evaluate illness and treatment outcomes, guide treatment needs (drug and non-drug interventions), and provide training and competencies. The institute also acts as an incubator ecosystem for emerging researchers in the areas of mental health and neuroscience.

 

At the Aga Khan University, we complement and catalyse existing and emerging faculty expertise, clinical infrastructure, and academic programs to facilitate education advancements, focusing on academic neuroscience and relevant curriculum development. As student-led learning is limited across educational programs and campuses in other institutions, BMI programs provide an unprecedented and unique platform for students, trainees, and medical residents. The intention is for them to come together and think creatively about the factors shaping mental health and neuroscience, and design solutions that can make a significant difference. These solutions are modelled within BMI's Integrated Mental Health Framework that guides our work and the efforts of many partners in adopting a stepped-care approach to research and interventions for people at risk or experiencing mental health challenges.

 

In relation to this, we are working with our Medical College to ensure that mental health and neurosciences are adequately covered in our upcoming MBChB program (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) to produce doctors who are equipped to deal with what may be the most severe public health threat in the coming years. We intend to prepare students with a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to studying neurological and mental health. The program will focus on promoting comprehension of the evidential basis for understanding the biological, psychological, and socio-environmental factors that are essential in the development and maintenance of mental health, as well as evidence supporting the implementation and efficacy of a range of interventions for mental health conditions.

 

Furthermore, we find that existing mental health treatments do not yet provide comprehensive, patient-defined functional recovery. Hence, this requires innovative treatment research approaches to increase the efficacy of existing interventions. Integrating mental health research and cognitive neuroscience methods within health professional curricula is one promising intervention to address this. It creates new avenues for clinical research that will guide the development of more effective mental health treatments that address the biological, environmental, and social factors that contribute to disorder and recovery. 

 

At the BMI, we are also working to influence policy by advocating for a sustainable approach to reducing the stigma of prevalent mental disorders and closing the treatment gap for disadvantaged populations in low- and middle-income populations. We are initially focusing on eliminating the stigma associated with suicide attempts and severe mental illness, and have made steady progress with the government in steps towards decriminalizing suicide attempts in order to facilitate better care.

 

Our advocacy work in suicide prevention includes collaborating with the government to develop a suicide prevention strategy, establishing the first self-harm registry, and identifying metrics for tracking suicide and suicidal behaviour in this region. We have also supported the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and other organizations in their campaign to have suicide decriminalized in Kenya while working with legislators to repeal Section 226 of the Penal Code, which states that anybody who attempts to kill themselves is guilty of a misdemeanour. 

We aim to cultivate concern in safeguarding the conservation of both the societal worth of life and the value of an individual's life, extending from the protection of life within societies to the safety of each person from harm, including self-inflicted harm. In fact, decriminalization has proven to help reduce the stigma associated with suicide, as people will no longer feel the need to hide their suicidal thoughts and will be encouraged to discuss them with others before seeking professional treatment.

The BMI is therefore at the forefront of efforts in this region to advance research, education, and care in mental and neurological health, and we accept the huge expectations that society will place on our shoulders to make a lasting difference in these areas.