At the Duke Center for Global Mental Health (CGMH), our work is focused on reducing mental health inequities at all stages of the research continuum. With a particular focus on the development, implementation, and evaluation of mental health interventions, our team is working toward scalable and sustainable solutions to alleviating the global burden of mental disorders and promoting positive mental health in 45 countries. Our work spans multiple disciplines in various settings, with specialties in a variety of themes.
Research Support and Collaboration
The Duke Center for Global Mental Health partners with researchers and practitioners to support applied global mental health research, with a particular focus on intervention development, adaptation, and evaluation in low-resource settings. The CGMH provides hands-on support in identifying study design, measurement, adaptation and validation of instruments, implementation and hybrid effectiveness trials, and data analysis. We work closely with in-country partners to ensure research is contextually grounded, community informed, and designed to inform real-world practice and policy. If you are a Duke faculty member, Duke GMH Trainee, or partner and would like support integrating mental health into your current work or a future project, please reach out to dukegmh@duke.edu with your request.
Projects (by topical area)
Child/Family
The CGMH prioritizes child and family interventions that strengthen caregiving and family systems to promote coping strategies and improve mental health across generations.
USA
Coping Together is a family strengthening intervention adapted in the United States from work in Kenya to improve family relationships and mental health among children, adolescents, and caregivers. Developed through community-engaged adaptation with diverse communities,… Read more
USA
Environmental disasters pose immediate and long term threats to both physical and mental health. Even after the immediate impacts of weather events are over, mental and physical health effects continue. Through, health screenings, interviews, focus… Read more
India
This project focuses on child and caregiver mental health in residential child care institutions supporting orphaned and separated children (OSC). The population includes children (6-11yrs), adolescents (11-17yrs) caregivers, and alumni (18-24yrs) living in family-style homes.… Read more
China, Columbia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, USA
The Parenting Across Cultures longitudinal study began in 2008 with recruitment of a sample of 1,417 8-year-old children and their mothers and fathers from nine countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and… Read more
Myanmar, Thailand
Parenting on the Border is a film-based intervention designed to reduce child maltreatment and strengthen family functioning among displaced families from Myanmar living in Thailand’s Tak Province. Led by the Global Parenting Initiative and co-led… Read more
Ukraine
Risk and Resilience in Ukraine is a quantitative study examining the impact of war in Ukraine on adolescent and young adult well-being, psychosocial adjustment, coping, and health. We are collecting self-report and biological (e.g., hair… Read more
Cambodia
Over a three-year period, Duke researchers collaborated with Buddhist monk scholars, Cambodian mental health professionals, youth-serving practitioners, and LGBTQ leaders to develop a 10-week mental health and resilience protocol using a human-centered design approach. This… Read more
Tanzania
SYV is a peer-led, group-based mental health and life skills intervention for adolescents and young adults with HIV in Tanzania. It was co-created with youth and utilizes components of evidence-based psychotherapies (cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal… Read more
Kenya
Tuko Pamoja is a family strengthening program developed in Kenya using community-based participatory methods to improve family relationships and mental health among children, adolescents, and caregivers. It includes two complementary interventions: a group-based prevention program… Read more
Climate
The CGMH studies the mental health impacts of climate change and develops strategies to strengthen psychological resilience among communities facing environmental stressors.
USA
Environmental disasters pose immediate and long term threats to both physical and mental health. Even after the immediate impacts of weather events are over, mental and physical health effects continue. Through, health screenings, interviews, focus… Read more
South Africa
Funded by a DGHI Pilot Grant, this project investigates how air pollution contributes to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using a South African longitudinal cohort of individuals with PTSD and trauma-exposed controls, we are testing whether… Read more
Sri Lanka
The study is motivated by high levels of chronic kidney disease (CKDu) in climate-impacted areas of Sri Lanka. Using a convergent mixed methods design, the research will collect cross-sectional quantitative data from adult participants in… Read more
Community-based
The CGMH centers community-based research by partnering with local stakeholders to co-design, evaluate, and sustain culturally grounded and adapted mental health interventions.
USA
The Clergy Health Initiative Longitudinal Study is the world’s longest running clergy health survey, currently spanning 2008-2025, with 9 waves administered biennially. All currently appointed (or within 4 years of retirement) United Methodist Church clergy… Read more
USA
Coping Together is a family strengthening intervention adapted in the United States from work in Kenya to improve family relationships and mental health among children, adolescents, and caregivers. Developed through community-engaged adaptation with diverse communities,… Read more
Tanzania
The Exploring Cancer-Related Stigma in Sub-Saharan Africa (ECaSSA) study is a pilot research project aimed at understanding the social and cultural drivers of cancer stigma and its role in delaying care-seeking among cancer patients in… Read more
Rwanda
In Rwanda there are fewer than 20 psychiatrists for a population of 13.2 million people, and only 0.2% of people newly diagnosed with mental health disorders are treated in Rwandan health facilities. There is an… Read more
USA
For our Futures is a national, community-partnered study supported by the Spencer Foundation. For our Futures examines mental health and well-being among Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian undergraduate students in the United States.… Read more
Tanzania
IDEAS for Hope is a nurse-led telehealth counseling intervention for people living with HIV, designed to improve access to mental health services in low-resource settings. The program’s core focus is reducing suicidal ideation through HIV… Read more
Tanzania
This study addresses the overuse of physical restraint and involuntary seclusion in the management of psychiatric emergencies across African clinical settings. Due to the lack of infrastructure, training, and workforce to effectively manage psychiatric emergencies,… Read more
USA
Environmental disasters pose immediate and long term threats to both physical and mental health. Even after the immediate impacts of weather events are over, mental and physical health effects continue. Through, health screenings, interviews, focus… Read more
India
This project focuses on child and caregiver mental health in residential child care institutions supporting orphaned and separated children (OSC). The population includes children (6-11yrs), adolescents (11-17yrs) caregivers, and alumni (18-24yrs) living in family-style homes.… Read more
Myanmar, Thailand
Parenting on the Border is a film-based intervention designed to reduce child maltreatment and strengthen family functioning among displaced families from Myanmar living in Thailand’s Tak Province. Led by the Global Parenting Initiative and co-led… Read more
South Africa
Funded by a DGHI Pilot Grant, this project investigates how air pollution contributes to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using a South African longitudinal cohort of individuals with PTSD and trauma-exposed controls, we are testing whether… Read more
Sri Lanka
The study is motivated by high levels of chronic kidney disease (CKDu) in climate-impacted areas of Sri Lanka. Using a convergent mixed methods design, the research will collect cross-sectional quantitative data from adult participants in… Read more
Cambodia
Over a three-year period, Duke researchers collaborated with Buddhist monk scholars, Cambodian mental health professionals, youth-serving practitioners, and LGBTQ leaders to develop a 10-week mental health and resilience protocol using a human-centered design approach. This… Read more
USA
Using a partially randomized preference-based trial design, we tested three interventions for stress symptom reduction among United Methodist clergy in North Carolina, USA with positive outcomes for two: 1) mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and 2)… Read more
Kenya
Tuko Pamoja is a family strengthening program developed in Kenya using community-based participatory methods to improve family relationships and mental health among children, adolescents, and caregivers. It includes two complementary interventions: a group-based prevention program… Read more
Digital
CGMH leverages digital health technologies to deliver innovative, scalable, accessible, and evidence-based mental health interventions across diverse global settings.
Tanzania
IDEAS for Hope is a nurse-led telehealth counseling intervention for people living with HIV, designed to improve access to mental health services in low-resource settings. The program’s core focus is reducing suicidal ideation through HIV… Read more
Humanities
The CGMH integrates the humanities into global mental health research to explore lived experiences, cultural context, and historical factors affecting mental health care.
Immigrant and Refugee
The CGMH studies the mental health needs of immigrant and refugee populations, developing culturally adapted interventions and community-based supports address acculturative stress and to foster resilience and well-being.
USA
Coping Together is a family strengthening intervention adapted in the United States from work in Kenya to improve family relationships and mental health among children, adolescents, and caregivers. Developed through community-engaged adaptation with diverse communities,… Read more
Myanmar, Thailand
Parenting on the Border is a film-based intervention designed to reduce child maltreatment and strengthen family functioning among displaced families from Myanmar living in Thailand’s Tak Province. Led by the Global Parenting Initiative and co-led… Read more
LGBTQ+
The CGMH advances research on LGBTQ+ mental health by addressing stigma, minority stress, and barriers to culturally competent care across contexts.
Cambodia
Over a three-year period, Duke researchers collaborated with Buddhist monk scholars, Cambodian mental health professionals, youth-serving practitioners, and LGBTQ leaders to develop a 10-week mental health and resilience protocol using a human-centered design approach. This… Read more
Racial Equity
The CGMH centers racial equity in global mental health research by examining the impacts of structural racism and inequities and developing inclusive approaches to reduce disparities in mental health care and outcomes.
USA
For our Futures is a national, community-partnered study supported by the Spencer Foundation. For our Futures examines mental health and well-being among Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian undergraduate students in the United States.… Read more
Sexual and Reproductive Health
The CGMH examines the intersection of sexual and reproductive health and mental health, developing integrated interventions that address stigma, violence, chronic conditions, and barriers to care.
Tanzania
IDEAS for Hope is a nurse-led telehealth counseling intervention for people living with HIV, designed to improve access to mental health services in low-resource settings. The program’s core focus is reducing suicidal ideation through HIV… Read more
USA
This project aims to better understand the link between mental health and the menopause transition in North Carolina. Using electronic health records from The Duke University Health System, we will examine patterns of diagnosis and… Read more
Tanzania
SYV is a peer-led, group-based mental health and life skills intervention for adolescents and young adults with HIV in Tanzania. It was co-created with youth and utilizes components of evidence-based psychotherapies (cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal… Read more
Spirituality
The CGMH partners with religious communities and leaders to integrate spiritual perspectives into mental health interventions and study the well-being of clergy and faith-based populations.
USA
The Clergy Health Initiative Longitudinal Study is the world’s longest running clergy health survey, currently spanning 2008-2025, with 9 waves administered biennially. All currently appointed (or within 4 years of retirement) United Methodist Church clergy… Read more
India
This project focuses on child and caregiver mental health in residential child care institutions supporting orphaned and separated children (OSC). The population includes children (6-11yrs), adolescents (11-17yrs) caregivers, and alumni (18-24yrs) living in family-style homes.… Read more
Cambodia
Over a three-year period, Duke researchers collaborated with Buddhist monk scholars, Cambodian mental health professionals, youth-serving practitioners, and LGBTQ leaders to develop a 10-week mental health and resilience protocol using a human-centered design approach. This… Read more
USA
Using a partially randomized preference-based trial design, we tested three interventions for stress symptom reduction among United Methodist clergy in North Carolina, USA with positive outcomes for two: 1) mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and 2)… Read more
USA
The Seminary to Early Ministry (SEM) Study—the first long-term study of divinity school students—examines mental health and well-being from seminary through early ministry. Using surveys, interviews, ethnography, and biometric data, SEM follows three cohorts of… Read more