Laura K Murray
Biographic Data
| ID | 2336865 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Laura K Murray |
| GIVEN NAMES | Laura K |
| FAMILY NAME | Murray |
| SIGNATURE | MURRAY L K |
| AFFILIATIONS | Johns Hopkins University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-0199-9701 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 37 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 25 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 37 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1988 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
A suicide safety protocol with vulnerable populations with chronic physical health conditions
Suicide is a serious global health problem with ~73% deaths by suicide occurring in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs), many of which are among people experiencing humanitarian emergencies. Few guidelines outline specific steps and strategies to tackle suicide risk and manage post-attempt consequences in these settings, leaving program implementers with limited information to translate guidance to practice. This article describes the impleme…
Implementation, sustainability, and impact of Common Elements Treatment Approach in Ugandan healthcare facilities
The health and social consequences of untreated mental health disorders and heavy alcohol use are substantial, particularly in settings with high HIV-prevalence. Transdiagnostic approaches may offer a more efficient public health response, particularly where behavioral health services are limited. The present study explored the implementation of Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA), a transdiagnostic intervention, in Western Uganda, from the…
Feasibility and acceptability of phone-delivered psychological therapy for refugee children and adolescents in a humanitarian setting
Despite some challenges, telephone-delivered therapy for children shows promising evidence of feasibility and acceptability in a humanitarian context and has the potential to increase access to mental health services by hard-to-reach populations. Approaches to addressing challenges of telephone-delivered therapy are discussed. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03887312; registered 22nd March 2019
Integration of Common Elements Treatment Approach (Ceta) into public sector HIV clinics for unhealthy alcohol use in urban Zambia
In Sub-Saharan Africa, unhealthy alcohol use (UAU) is a growing threat to achieving ‘the last mile’ towards ending AIDS by 2030. Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) is a multisession transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy protocol that can treat a range of common co-morbid mental and behavioral mental health problems, including UAU. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), we previously reported that CETA was clinically effective in re…
Mental health Narrative Community-Based Group Therapy in violence-displaced Afro-Colombians
This study aims to evaluate the effect of a mental health Narrative Community-Based Group Therapy (NCGT) in Afro-Colombian violence survivors. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in Buenaventura and Quibdó, Colombia. Afro-Colombian adults (n=521) were randomly allocated to a NCGT (n1=175), a wait-control group (n2=171) or a Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA, n3=175). The CETA was described separately given conceptual/methodological…
Intersection of alcohol use, HIV infection, and the HIV care continuum in Zambia
Through a nationally-representative household survey, we measured the prevalence and correlates of unhealthy alcohol use (UAU) in Zambia and its association with the HIV care continuum. Adolescent and adult (ages 15–59 years) data, including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C), from the 2016 Zambia Population-based HIV Impact Assessment, were analyzed. UAU was defined as AUDIT-C of 3 + points for women and 4 + for …
Expanding mental health services in low- and middle-income countries
This paper proposes a framework for comprehensive, collaborative, and community-based care (C4) for accessible mental health services in low-resource settings. Because mental health conditions have many causes, this framework includes social, public health, wellness and clinical services. It accommodates integration of stand-alone mental health programs with health and non-health community-based services. It addresses gaps in previous models incl…
Effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy compared to psychosocial counseling in reducing HIV risk behaviors, substance use, and mental health problems among orphans and vulnerable …
The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on intimate partner violence and mental health
Experiences and Perceptions of Telephone-delivery of the Common Elements Treatment Approach for Mental Health Needs Among Young People in Zambia During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Background: Mental and behavioral health needs are immense in low-to-middle income countries (LMIC), particularly for adolescents and young adults (AYA). However, access to mental health services is limited in LMIC due to barriers such as distance to a health care site, low number of providers, and other structural and logistical challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these barriers were significantly exacerbated and, thus, mental health servi…
Two-year treatment effects of the common elements treatment approach (Ceta) for reducing intimate partner violence and unhealthy alcohol use in Zambia
The lack of change in levels of IPV and unhealthy alcohol use between the 12- and 24-month post-baseline timepoints suggests that treatment gains were sustained among participants who received CETA for at least two years from intervention commencement
A randomized-controlled trial of community-based transdiagnostic psychotherapy for veterans and internally displaced persons in Ukraine
Standard CETA is more effective than brief CETA, but brief CETA also had significant effects compared with wait-controls. Given demonstrated effectiveness, CETA could be scaled up as an effective community-based approach
Trauma-focused cognitive–behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for interpersonal trauma in transitional-aged youth
Regardless of the expected temporary symptom exacerbation, the results indicated that TF-CBT was safe, tolerable, and acceptable. Transitional-aged youth is an emerging area of research. With limited research available on this age group to inform evidence-based practice, it is recommended that a randomized controlled trial is conducted to determine if TF-CBT (Cohen et al., 2017) can be effectively translated to this underresearched age group. (Ps…
Efficacy of the Common Elements Treatment Approach (Ceta) for Unhealthy Alcohol Use Among Adults with HIV in Zambia
Experiences of mental health and functioning among conflict-affected populations
Findings suggest a need for community-based programming that facilitates social adaptation, supports social network building, and helps engage conflict-affected people into mental health services. Programs that promote greater awareness, interaction, and understanding among the general public, military veterans, and IDPs are also warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
A qualitative exploration of mechanisms of intimate partner violence reduction for Zambian couples receiving the Common Elements Treatment Approach (Ceta) intervention
When less is more
Using Item Response Theory (IRT) we created shortened valid measures that can be used to help guide clinical decisions and function as longitudinal research tools. The results of this analysis demonstrate the reliability and validity of shortened scales in each of the two settings and an approach that can be generalized more broadly to help improve screening, monitoring, and evaluation of mental health and psychosocial programs globally
Not all costs should be treated equally
The article ‘What will it cost to prevent violence against women and girls in low- and middle-income countries? Evidence from Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia’ by Torres-Rueda et al. estimates the cost of different interventions for preventing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) scaled up to the national level. We commend the authors for calling attention to the importance of analysing costs of interventions. Torres-Rue…
Psychometric evaluation of HIV risk behavior assessments using Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interviewing (Acasi) among orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia
Social desirability bias and underreporting of HIV risk behaviors are significant challenges to the accurate evaluation of HIV prevention programs for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in sub-Saharan Africa. Valid and reliable HIV risk behavior instruments are critical to address these challenges. We assessed the psychometric properties of two risk behavior measures, the World Aids Foundation Survey (WAF) and the Peer HIV Risk Behavior Screen…
An evaluation of a common elements treatment approach for youth in Somali refugee camps
This project is the first to examine a common elements approach (CETA: defined as flexible delivery of elements, order, and dosing) with children and caregivers in a low-resource setting with delivery by lay providers. CETA-Youth may offer an effective treatment that is easier to implement and scale-up versus multiple focal interventions. A fullscale randomized clinical trial is warranted
The impact of Cognitive Processing Therapy on stigma among survivors of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01385163
Adaptation and testing of an assessment for mental health and alcohol use problems among conflict-affected adults in Ukraine
The findings support the reliability and validity of the assessment-the MHAI-for screening of common mental health problems among Ukrainian IDPs and veterans. Use of IRT shortened the instrument to improve practicality and potential sustainability
Psychological Treatments for the World
Common mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress, are leading causes of disability worldwide. Treatment for these disorders is limited in low- and middle-income countries. This systematic review synthesizes the implementation processes and examines the effectiveness of psychological treatments for common mental disorders in adults delivered by nonspecialist providers in low- and middle-income countries. In total, 2…
Testing the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic treatment approach in reducing violence and alcohol abuse among families in Zambia
This ongoing trial is one of the first in sub-Saharan Africa to evaluate the use of an evidence-based common elements approach for reducing VAWG by targeting a range of individual- and family-level factors, including alcohol abuse. Results of this trial will inform policy on what interventions work to prevent VAWG in LMIC with local perspectives on scale up and wider implementation
Adaptation of community health worker-delivered behavioral activation for torture survivors in Kurdistan, Iraq
BATD was delivered by CHWs in a resource-poor, conflict-affected area in Kurdistan, Iraq, with some important modifications, including low-literacy adaptations, increased cultural relevancy of clinical materials, and tailored training and supervision for CHWs. Barriers to implementation, lessons learned, and recommendations for future efforts to adapt behavioral therapies for resource-limited, conflict-affected areas are discussed
Adolescent Resilience in Northern Uganda
We investigated relations between prosocial behavior, perceived social support, and improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms over 6 months among 102 Acholi adolescent (14–17 years, 58% female adolescents) survivors of war and displacement in Northern Uganda. Adolescents were assessed using a locally developed screener. Regression analyses measured the association between resilience factors and mental health outcomes. Findings indicated that…
Psychosocial Interventions for Maltreated and Violence‐Exposed Children
Child sexual, physical, and emotional abuse as well as child neglect and domestic violence, community violence, and Childhood Traumatic Grief may result in significant and long‐lasting emotional and behavioral difficulties. This article reviews randomized controlled studies that have assessed child mental health outcomes for maltreated and violence‐exposed children. Key points of this review include the following: (1) maltreated and violence‐expo…
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for youth who experience continuous traumatic exposure
Many evidence-based treatments are now available for traumatized children and youth, and their families. Although these are typically based on past traumas, a large portion of these youth experience continuous traumas. Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that has been used successfully with youth and families who experience ongoing traumas. Within these studies and projects, TF-CBT trainers have wor…
A qualitative exploration of mechanisms of intimate partner violence reduction for Zambian couples receiving the Common Elements Treatment Approach (Ceta) intervention
Changing patterns of drug abuse in a seaport
Changing patterns of drug abuse in a seaport: New Orleans, 1975-85. B D Schwartz, L Murray, B Alexander, F R Kauders, and D M GallantCopyRight https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.78.6.720-a Published Online: October 07, 2011
Psychosocial Interventions for Maltreated and Violence‐Exposed Children
Child sexual, physical, and emotional abuse as well as child neglect and domestic violence, community violence, and Childhood Traumatic Grief may result in significant and long‐lasting emotional and behavioral difficulties. This article reviews randomized controlled studies that have assessed child mental health outcomes for maltreated and violence‐exposed children. Key points of this review include the following: (1) maltreated and violence‐expo…
Interventions for Depression Symptoms Among Adolescent Survivors of War and Displacement in Northern Uganda
CONTEXT: Prior qualitative work with internally displaced persons in war-affected northern Uganda showed significant mental health and psychosocial problems. OBJECTIVE: To assess effect of locally feasible interventions on depression, anxiety, and conduct problem symptoms among adolescent survivors of war and displacement in northern Uganda. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A randomized controlled trial from May 2005 through December 2005 of 31…
Barriers to acceptance and adherence of antiretroviral therapy in urban Zambian women
Sub-Saharan Africa contains over 60% of the world's HIV infections and Zambia is among the most severely affected countries in the region. As antiretroviral programs have been rapidly expanding, the long-term success of these programs depends on a good understanding of the behavioral determinants of acceptance and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). The study used qualitative methods to gain local insight into potentially important factors…
Formative Research for a Healthy Diet Intervention Among Inner-City Adolescents
Suggested adolescent nutritional interventions include promotion of home-based eating, improving availability of healthy foods in school and neighborhood stores, and targeted educational materials
Psychological type and religious orientation
This study set out to profile an Anglican congregation in the south of England in terms of religious orientation, assessed by the New Indices of Religious Orientation, and in terms of psychological type, assessed by the Francis Psychological Type Scales, in order to test the hypothesis that motivation for church attendance (religious orientation) is related to personality (psychological type). The data demonstrated that this congregation (N = 65)…
Building capacity in mental health interventions in low resource countries
BACKGROUND: Recent global mental health research suggests that mental health interventions can be adapted for use across cultures and in low resource environments. As evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of certain specific interventions begins to accumulate, guidelines are needed for how to train, supervise, and ideally sustain mental health treatment delivery by local providers in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). MODEL AND CAS…
Adaptation of cognitive processing therapy for treatment of torture victims
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for youth who experience continuous traumatic exposure
Many evidence-based treatments are now available for traumatized children and youth, and their families. Although these are typically based on past traumas, a large portion of these youth experience continuous traumas. Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that has been used successfully with youth and families who experience ongoing traumas. Within these studies and projects, TF-CBT trainers have wor…
Adolescent Resilience in Northern Uganda
We investigated relations between prosocial behavior, perceived social support, and improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms over 6 months among 102 Acholi adolescent (14–17 years, 58% female adolescents) survivors of war and displacement in Northern Uganda. Adolescents were assessed using a locally developed screener. Regression analyses measured the association between resilience factors and mental health outcomes. Findings indicated that…
A Common Elements Treatment Approach for Adult Mental Health Problems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Adaptation and testing of psychosocial assessment instruments for cross-cultural use
This paper describes the importance and process of adaptation and testing, illustrated by the experiences and results for selected instruments in this population
Adaptation of community health worker-delivered behavioral activation for torture survivors in Kurdistan, Iraq
BATD was delivered by CHWs in a resource-poor, conflict-affected area in Kurdistan, Iraq, with some important modifications, including low-literacy adaptations, increased cultural relevancy of clinical materials, and tailored training and supervision for CHWs. Barriers to implementation, lessons learned, and recommendations for future efforts to adapt behavioral therapies for resource-limited, conflict-affected areas are discussed
Psychological Treatments for the World
Common mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress, are leading causes of disability worldwide. Treatment for these disorders is limited in low- and middle-income countries. This systematic review synthesizes the implementation processes and examines the effectiveness of psychological treatments for common mental disorders in adults delivered by nonspecialist providers in low- and middle-income countries. In total, 2…
Testing the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic treatment approach in reducing violence and alcohol abuse among families in Zambia
This ongoing trial is one of the first in sub-Saharan Africa to evaluate the use of an evidence-based common elements approach for reducing VAWG by targeting a range of individual- and family-level factors, including alcohol abuse. Results of this trial will inform policy on what interventions work to prevent VAWG in LMIC with local perspectives on scale up and wider implementation
Psychometric evaluation of HIV risk behavior assessments using Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interviewing (Acasi) among orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia
Social desirability bias and underreporting of HIV risk behaviors are significant challenges to the accurate evaluation of HIV prevention programs for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in sub-Saharan Africa. Valid and reliable HIV risk behavior instruments are critical to address these challenges. We assessed the psychometric properties of two risk behavior measures, the World Aids Foundation Survey (WAF) and the Peer HIV Risk Behavior Screen…
An evaluation of a common elements treatment approach for youth in Somali refugee camps
This project is the first to examine a common elements approach (CETA: defined as flexible delivery of elements, order, and dosing) with children and caregivers in a low-resource setting with delivery by lay providers. CETA-Youth may offer an effective treatment that is easier to implement and scale-up versus multiple focal interventions. A fullscale randomized clinical trial is warranted
The impact of Cognitive Processing Therapy on stigma among survivors of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01385163
Adaptation and testing of an assessment for mental health and alcohol use problems among conflict-affected adults in Ukraine
The findings support the reliability and validity of the assessment-the MHAI-for screening of common mental health problems among Ukrainian IDPs and veterans. Use of IRT shortened the instrument to improve practicality and potential sustainability
When less is more
Using Item Response Theory (IRT) we created shortened valid measures that can be used to help guide clinical decisions and function as longitudinal research tools. The results of this analysis demonstrate the reliability and validity of shortened scales in each of the two settings and an approach that can be generalized more broadly to help improve screening, monitoring, and evaluation of mental health and psychosocial programs globally
Not all costs should be treated equally
The article ‘What will it cost to prevent violence against women and girls in low- and middle-income countries? Evidence from Ghana, Kenya, Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia’ by Torres-Rueda et al. estimates the cost of different interventions for preventing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) scaled up to the national level. We commend the authors for calling attention to the importance of analysing costs of interventions. Torres-Rue…
Two-year treatment effects of the common elements treatment approach (Ceta) for reducing intimate partner violence and unhealthy alcohol use in Zambia
The lack of change in levels of IPV and unhealthy alcohol use between the 12- and 24-month post-baseline timepoints suggests that treatment gains were sustained among participants who received CETA for at least two years from intervention commencement
A randomized-controlled trial of community-based transdiagnostic psychotherapy for veterans and internally displaced persons in Ukraine
Standard CETA is more effective than brief CETA, but brief CETA also had significant effects compared with wait-controls. Given demonstrated effectiveness, CETA could be scaled up as an effective community-based approach
Trauma-focused cognitive–behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for interpersonal trauma in transitional-aged youth
Regardless of the expected temporary symptom exacerbation, the results indicated that TF-CBT was safe, tolerable, and acceptable. Transitional-aged youth is an emerging area of research. With limited research available on this age group to inform evidence-based practice, it is recommended that a randomized controlled trial is conducted to determine if TF-CBT (Cohen et al., 2017) can be effectively translated to this underresearched age group. (Ps…
Efficacy of the Common Elements Treatment Approach (Ceta) for Unhealthy Alcohol Use Among Adults with HIV in Zambia
Medicine (32 works) · Psychiatry (31 works) · Psychology (25 works) · Mental health (23 works) · Clinical Psychology (19 works) · Randomized controlled trial (15 works) · Migration, Health and Trauma (14 works) · Anxiety (13 works) · Clinical Psychology (13 works) · Mental Health Treatment and Access (12 works)