Counselling on Wheels Nigeria; Developing a framework for Africa-wide response to mental health challenges in communities affected by Violent Extremism
The Neem foundation is a non-governmental organisation set up in response to the problems associated with the Boko Haram conflict. Neem offers a range of psychosocial services to communities in north-east Nigeria, focusing on mental health interventions and peacebuilding initiatives. They seek to engage communities, facilitate dialogue between stakeholders and promote rehabilitation and reintegration of those affected by the insurgency. One of their initiative, the Counselling on Wheels (CoW) Programme, focuses on the psychosocial aspects of the crisis through an innovative mobile counselling. CoW has two main components: peacebuilding activities and psychological therapy services. Unlike standalone mental health services or peacebuilding initiatives, Neem’s unique approach emphasises individual psychological wellbeing as the foundation of collective resilience to conflict and peacebuilding.
King’s College London conducted an independent evaluation of the programme to assess effectiveness and implementation outcomes, with a main focus on therapy services. The analysis was done on a sample of 3,091 participants, comparing pre- and post-scores on three psychological scales - Vulnerability to Violent Extremism (VVES); Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21); and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (PTSD-8).
Significant reductions in scores for all three scales were seen, indicating that therapy delivered by the COW program improved mental well-being and reduced vulnerability to violent extremism.
The programme was broadly found to be acceptable and feasible for delivery in the setting by both beneficiaries and service providers at a comparatively low cost (of US$ 56 per beneficiary starting in group therapy treatment). This indicates that, with appropriate adaptations, the intervention has potential for sustainable delivery and scale up within Nigeria and in other post-conflict settings.
Discussions are currently underway with the United Nations about next steps for potential implementation and research.
KCL Evaluation Team: Professor Melanie Amna Abas, Professor ‘Funmi Olonisakin, Natasha Chilambo, Sarah Derveeuw, Dr Chris Merritt, Dr Patrick Smith, Prof Richard Sullivan, Prof Preeti Patel, Dr Kimberley Goldsmith.
Neem Foundation Project Partners: Dr Fatima Akilu, Dr Abiye Iruayenama, Ashraf Usman.
Co-Investigators: Dr Kelly Rose-Clarke, Dr Ekaette Ikpe, Dr Olawale Ismail, Dr Sharli Paphitis, Dr Petr Slovak.
Funder: King’s Together Strategic Award.
More information on the NEEM Foundation
Counselling on Wheels Documentary