abstract: 'Background Intersectoral collaboration is fundamental to the provision

  of people-centred mental health care, yet there is a dearth of research

  about how this strategy operates within mental health systems in low-

  and middle-income countries. This is problematic given the known

  attitudinal, structural and resource barriers to intersectoral

  collaboration in high-income country mental health systems. This study

  was conducted to investigate intersectoral collaboration for

  people-centred mental health care in Timor-Leste, a South-East Asian

  country in the process of strengthening its mental health system.

  Methods This study employed a mixed-methods convergent design.

  Qualitative data elicited from in-depth interviews with 85 key

  stakeholders and document review were complemented with quantitative

  social network analysis to assess understandings of, the strength and

  structure of intersectoral collaboration in the Timorese mental health

  system. Results There was consensus among stakeholder groups that

  intersectoral collaboration for mental health is important in

  Timor-Leste. Despite resource restrictions discussed by participants,

  interview data and social network analysis revealed evidence of

  information and resource sharing among organisations working within the

  health and social (disability and violence support) sectors in

  Timor-Leste (network density = 0.55 and 0.30 for information and

  resource sharing, respectively). Contrary to the assumption that mental

  health services and system strengthening are led by the Ministry of

  Health, the mixed-methods data sources identified a split in stewardship

  for mental health between subnetworks in the health and social sectors

  (network degree centralisation = 0.28 and 0.47 for information and

  resource sharing, respectively). Conclusions Overall, the findings

  suggest that there may be opportunities for intersectoral collaborations

  in mental health systems in LMICs which do not exist in settings with

  more formalised mental health systems such as HICs. Holistic

  understandings of health and wellbeing, and a commitment to working

  together in the face of resource restrictions suggest that intersectoral

  collaboration can be employed to achieve people-centred mental health

  care in Timor-Leste.'
affiliation: 'Hall, T (Corresponding Author), Univ Melbourne, Nossal Inst Global Hlth,
  333 Exhibit St, Melbourne, Vic 3004, Australia.

  Hall, Teresa; Armstrong, Greg, Univ Melbourne, Nossal Inst Global Hlth, 333 Exhibit
  St, Melbourne, Vic 3004, Australia.

  Kakuma, Ritsuko, London Sch Hyg \& Trop Med, Ctr Global Mental Hlth, London, England.

  Kakuma, Ritsuko; Minas, Harry, Univ Melbourne, Ctr Mental Hlth, Melbourne, Vic,
  Australia.

  Palmer, Lisa, Univ Melbourne, Sch Geog, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.

  Martins, Joao, Natl Univ Timor Leste, Fac Med \& Hlth Sci, Dili, Timor-Leste.'
article-number: '72'
author: Hall, Teresa and Kakuma, Ritsuko and Palmer, Lisa and Minas, Harry and Martins,
  Joao and Armstrong, Greg
author-email: teresa.hall@unimelb.edu.au
author_list:
- family: Hall
  given: Teresa
- family: Kakuma
  given: Ritsuko
- family: Palmer
  given: Lisa
- family: Minas
  given: Harry
- family: Martins
  given: Joao
- family: Armstrong
  given: Greg
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1186/s13033-019-0328-1
files: []
issn: 1752-4458
journal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS
keywords: 'Intersectoral collaboration; Governance; Global mental health;

  Timor-Leste; Asia Pacific'
keywords-plus: GOVERNANCE; SYSTEMS; DISORDERS; FRAMEWORK; SECTORS; POLICY
language: English
month: NOV 16
number: '1'
number-of-cited-references: '64'
orcid-numbers: 'Armstrong, Gregory/0000-0002-8073-9213

  Kakuma, Ritsuko/0000-0002-0196-2100

  Palmer, Lisa/0000-0003-3571-5404'
papis_id: 50bb9de323f8ab15cd087d09f21681d8
ref: Hall2019intersectoralcollabo
researcherid-numbers: 'Armstrong, Gregory/K-1068-2015

  '
times-cited: '5'
title: 'Intersectoral collaboration for people-centred mental health care in Timor-Leste:
  a mixed-methods study using qualitative and social network analysis'
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000497746000002
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '5'
volume: '13'
web-of-science-categories: Psychiatry
year: '2019'