# Malawian Program for Mental Health Research Training (WARMHEART)

> **NIH NIH D43** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2022 · $247,181

## Abstract

Abstract
 Globally, mental health disorders account for nearly a third of years lived with disability and are the fifth-
leading cause of disability-adjusted life years. Approximately three-quarters of this burden resides in low and
middle-income countries, where a particularly large “mental health treatment gap” exists. This gap is
particularly striking in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA), where extremely limited mental health treatment capacity
exists; less than 1 in 27 of those with a mental disorder get minimally adequate treatment.
 The development of in-country leaders in mental health research and policy translation is critical to
address this mental health treatment gap in sSA. Experience in other health areas provides a successful and
sustainable model for change. In Malawi, a series of HIV-focused Fogarty D43s has trained infectious diseases
researchers for over a decade; these trainees now hold key research and policy posts, leading HIV research
and effecting policy change. We aim to expand this successful training model to mental health research.
 Mental health research and policy development is poised for significant growth. In Malawi, known as “the
warm heart of Africa,” the country's first psychiatrist in a generation completed medical training two years
ago. The Malawi College of Medicine enthusiastically supports expansion of its mental health faculty and
research. Multiple funded mental health research grants provide a rich opportunity for mentored research
experiences, and the Ministry of Health mental health unit is committed to translating research to practice.
 We will employ a model to accelerate mental health research capacity across the lifespan in Malawi that
emphasizes three complementary dimensions: depth, breadth, and reach. This initiative builds on the strong
training track records of and successful collaborations between UNC-Chapel Hill, the Malawi College of
Medicine, the Malawi Ministry of Health, and many other partners.
 Specifically, we will 1) train 4 clinical psychiatry researchers and 5 postdoctoral mental health research
fellows who will participate in leadership training, short courses, mentored research projects, writing
workshops, and conference attendance, (depth); 2) hold broad initial stakeholder meetings to prioritize
research and policy questions, require cross-specialty collaboration in mentored research projects, co-sponsor
an Annual Mental Health conference, enhance mentorship skills among in-country faculty, and sponsor regular
mental health journal clubs for a broad audience (breadth); and 3) extend the impact of these researchers
through leadership and policy translation training, require collaboration with a policymaker in mentored
research projects, and hold a policy translation meeting at the end of the project period (reach).
 The Malawian Program for Mental Health Research Training (WARMHEART) will create an expert pool
of mental health researchers trained as leaders and able to collaborate with...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10430271
- **Project number:** 5D43TW011794-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** BRADLEY N GAYNES
- **Activity code:** D43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $247,181
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10430271

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10430271, Malawian Program for Mental Health Research Training (WARMHEART) (5D43TW011794-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10430271. Licensed CC0.

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