Cognified Study

About us

The CognIFiEd Study aims to work with persons with lived experience to produce an evidence-based cognitive intervention for young adults experiencing first-episode psychosis (FEP) that is culturally acceptable and can be easily delivered within the routine clinical settings of low and middle-income countries like Nigeria. Within this project, we aim to culturally adapt an evidence-based cognitive intervention to the Nigerian context, assess its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness, and understand the challenges, barriers and facilitators that must be addressed for the successful implementation, scale-up and sustainability of the intervention. In the longer term, we will test the intervention’s clinical and cost-effectiveness through a full randomised control trial (RCT) and develop strategies for its full implementation, scale-up and sustainability.

Vision

To work with persons with lived experience to develop an evidence-based cognitive intervention for young adults experiencing first-episode psychosis (FEP) that is culturally acceptable and feasible for delivery in routine clinical settings in low and middle-income countries like Nigeria.

Mission

To culturally adapt an evidence-based cognitive intervention to the Nigerian context, evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness, and identify the challenges, barriers, and facilitators that must be addressed for the successful implementation, scale-up and sustainability of the intervention. In the longer term, the mission includes testing the intervention’s clinical and cost-effectiveness through a full randomised controlled trial (RCT) and designing strategies for its full implementation, scale-up, and sustainability.

Prof. Abiodun Adewuya

Principal Investigator

Abiodun Adewuya had his basic medical education at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He had his clinical postgraduate training at the same institution. He is a fellow of the Faculty of Psychiatry of both the West African College of Physicians (FWACP) and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCPsych). He has had further postgraduate academic training and degrees from the University of Manchester, Kings College London, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Abiodun Adewuya is a Professor of Public Mental Health at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM). He is presently the Provost of the College of Medicine. He also holds Honourary Consultant position at the Dept of Psychiatry of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). He was a Research Fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry (IOP) in London. His research interests include public mental health and maternal mental health. He has led several research initiatives, like the Lagos Mental Health Survey (LSMHS) and Lagos Schools Emotional and Behavioural Health Survey (LSEBHS). He was the Principal Investigator in the Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) funded Mental Health in Primary Care (MeHPriC) project. He is also the Executive Director of the Centre for Mental Health Research and Initiative (CEMHRI). He has over 100 academic publications in reputable journals. As the Chairman of the Lagos State Mental Health Action Committee, he led the draft of the Lagos State Mental Health policy and the Lagos State Mental Health Law

Prof. Bolanle Ola

Co- Investigator

Prof. Bola Ola is a Consultant Psychiatrist at TBH and Professor at Griffith University Queensland, Australia with special interest in cognitive behavior therapy, lived experiences, mixed methods, implementation science, mental health assessment and education. He has conducted research on the social, psychological and behavioral aspects of addiction, mood and anxiety disorders. Currently, he works as a consultant psychiatrist in the acute mental health unit of Darling Downs and Health Services in Toowoomba, Queensland. His goal is to further explore different aspects of social science and cognitive therapy approaches for individuals with mental illness and substance use problems.

Dr. Adeniran Okewole

Co- Investigator

He has first degrees in Medicine (University of Ibadan, Nigeria) and Philosophy (Birkbeck, University of London); his previous postgraduate studies include master’s degrees in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (University of Ibadan, Nigeria) and Bioinformatics and Genetic Epidemiology (Cardiff University, UK). Niran is a chief consultant psychiatrist, working in both child and adolescent psychiatry and general adult psychiatry, at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital Aro, Abeokuta, Nigeria. He co-leads the Africa Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, and is a member of the board of directors of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG), on which he represents Low- and Middle-Income Countries. He also writes poetry, with two published collections, and plays club-level tennis.

Dr. Olabisi Oladipo

Co- Investigator

Olabisi Oladipo, DSW, is a Medical Social Worker and researcher with advanced training in health social work . She earned her Doctor of Social Work from Lagos State University Ojo, a professional Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Ibadan, MSc in Social Work from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, and a Certificate of Qualification in Medical/Psychiatry Social Work from Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba. She has extensive experience in clinical social work and currently practices at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Ikeja, where she works directly with diverse patient populations and trains social work students from various higher institutions in Nigeria. She also works as a secretary at the Centre for Mental Health Research and Initiative, Lagos State. In addition to her clinical work, she is actively involved in research. Her research focuses on social work, social support, mental health, developing culturally appropriate assessment tools, and designing, implementing and evaluating community based interventions to promote early help-seeking, enhancing psychosocial wellbeing, and improving mental health for individuals with mental illness. She was actively involved in the Mental Health in Primary Care (MeHPriC) project in Lagos, where she trained healthcare workers and contributed to developing and testing integrated mental health service delivery models across lagos state primary healthcare system. She is an active member of the Nigeria Association of Social Workers and Association of Medical Social Workers of Nigeria.

Dr. Azizat Lebimoyo

Project manager

Dr. Azizat Lebimoyo is a Consultant Psychiatrist with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Ikeja, and an Associate Lecturer with the Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Nigeria. She is a graduate of the Lagos State University College of Medicine (MBBS). She is a Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCPsych) and a member of the West Africa College of Physicians (MWACP). She also has an MSc in Public Health (Epidemiology). Dr Lebimoyo is a member of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria, and other professional organizations, both locally and internationally. Her interests are public mental health, general adult psychiatry, women’s mental health, and child/ adolescent mental health.

Key Details

Young adults experiencing first-episode psychosis (FEP) in Nigeria, a low- and middle-income country.

4 years

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Project Partners

Objectives

Formative Evaluation of Context and Interventions

To conduct a formative evaluation to gain an understanding of the context, current, and possible interventions for cognitive and functional impairment in First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) among young adults in Nigeria.

Cultural Adaptation of Cognitive Intervention

Content: To culturally adapt an evidence-based cognitive intervention to the clinical settings in Nigeria taking into consideration the FEP management process and procedures and available resources and personnel in the setting.

Development of Theoretical Framework

To develop a theoretical framework for the implementation, evaluation, and sustenance of the adapted intervention.

Pilot Testing and Evaluation

To pilot test the adapted intervention and evaluate it for feasibility, acceptability, preliminary effectiveness, implementability and sustainability.

Dissemination of Findings

To disseminate the findings to stakeholders, policymakers and the scientific community.

CogniFiEd Study

About us

Our team