Curtin University researchers will lead an international study in South Africa aimed at implementing innovative community-delivered interventions that address mental health and substance use-related barriers to staying engaged in treatment for chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Led by Curtin enAble Institute Director Professor Bronwyn Myers, the project will run for five years after being awarded a $2.1 million National Health and Medical Research Council Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases Strengthening Health Systems grant.The project is being conducted in partnership with the South African Medical Research Council.
Professor Myers said despite healthcare being available, many people stopped treatment for chronic conditions because untreated mental health or substance use disorders made it harder to stay engaged.
"Community health workers already visit people in their homes, so they're often the first to see when someone has missed appointments or stopped taking medication but they haven't always had the training or support to respond effectively to mental health and substance use issues," Professor Myers said.
"This study will test what happens when those home visits are backed by better training and peer support for mental health and substance use recovery, so community care teams can recognise the problem early, respond without stigma and help people reduce mental health and substance use barriers to staying connected to care instead of falling through the cracks."
The study will test a program named Siyakhana – an isiXhosa word meaning 'we build each other up'. It involves skills-based mental health and substance use training for community health workers and embeds peer recovery coaches with lived experience directly into community health teams to deliver additional mental health and substance use supports to patients.
The study will follow the outcomes of more than 5000 patients, measuring whether the approach helps people re‑engage with care and delivers value for money at a health‑system level.
Professor Myers said South Africa was the best place to conduct the study before applying the findings to Australia.
"As South Africa already has a large, established community health worker program, this is the ideal place for testing this health system strengthening intervention properly, at scale and much faster than we currently could in Australia where community health worker programs are only beginning to be implemented," Professor Myers said.
Professor Myers said the approach responded to pressures facing both countries.
"Australia faces rising chronic disease rates, workforce shortages and growing demand for community‑based care, particularly in regional and underserved areas," she said.
"By generating strong, real‑world evidence in South Africa, we can guide smarter, more cost‑effective decisions about how Australia expands community health workers and peer‑supported care."
For more information about the Curtin enAble Institute, visit here.
