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Research

Ukamaka Oruche

Oruche Mental Health Lab

About Us

The Oruche Mental Health Lab is committed to advancing the mental health and wellbeing of communities. Our portfolio includes intervention research focused on the mental health care of children, especially those with disruptive, impulsive, and conduct disorders and their family caregivers. The OMHR Lab also conducts research addressing global inequities in mental health treatment. To this end, we partner with communities of patients, parents, families, health, and social service professionals to identify needs and develop health programs to meet these needs. We also provide expert consultation on the (1) integration of mental health services into community settings (schools, primary care clinics, and detention centers) and (2) evaluation of mental health programs, and (3) the development of research partnerships across local and global communities – with special emphasis on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Meet Our OMHR Lab Team

Led by Ukamaka Oruche, PHD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN, Gordon Keller Professor at the University of South Florida College of Nursing, we are an interdisciplinary team of investigators from local and global communities conducting research to address mental and behavioral health, and associated determinants of health challenges.  

Join our Lab Team: 
If you would like to join the OMHR Lab Team, send a CV and cover letter outlining your experience and research interests to orucheu@usf.edu.

OMHR Lab Team

Ukamaka Oruche

Ukamaka M. Oruche, PHD, RN, PHMCNS-BC, FAAN - Gordon Keller Professor and Assistant Dean of the PHD Program

Dr. Oruche has developed a sustained, progressive, nationally, and internationally recognized program of research focused on improving mental health outcomes across local and global communities. Her research expertise includes mental or behavioral health health, intervention development and evaluation using community engagement principles to achieve equitable health outcomes. Her research portfolio includes improving the mental health care of children, especially those with disruptive, impulsive, and conduct disorders (DICs) and their family caregivers. She has also been highly invested in transnational research to reduce unequal care of patients with mental health and substance abuse disorders in Low- and Middle-Income countries (LMICs). Dr. Oruche’s expert contributions has prepared psychiatric mental health clinicians and scientists both in nursing and other fields to leverage multiple spheres of influence to shape policies that support equitable health care for all patient populations. Dr. Oruche is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, member of the Edge Runners National Advisory Council, and past President of the International Society of Pediatric Mental health Nurses. She previously served at the Indiana University School of Nursing where she built a program of research and advocacy focused on advancement of mental health equity across the globe. Dr. Oruche’s outstanding contributions to global mental health have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the COVID-19 Courage Award from the American Academy of Nursing, designation as a U.S. News and World Report Hospital and Healthcare Hero. Dr. Oruche is also the founder of Village Community Health Initiative, Inc., a nonprofit organization providing healthcare and nutrition to populations in southern Nigeria.  

Jummy

Olajumoke Adetoun Ojeleye (Jummy), RN, RN BNSc, MS, PhD Student -Graduate Research Assistant

Jummy is maternal and child health nurse and a current doctoral student at University of South Florida College of Nursing. To inform more innovative, culturally adaptive, and sustainable interventions, she is researching the perinatal mental health needs, preferences, and access to care among perinatal adolescents. 

  • Community Engaged Assessment of Mental Health Services and Research Infrastructure to Improve Access to Care for Adults with MH GAP Disorders in Nigeria  

    Funding Agency: Global Impact Research Grants, Indiana University Office of International Affairs
    Role: Principal Investigator (CoPI, von Gaudecker)  

    The purpose of this study is to (1) describe the treatment pathways from symptom identification to follow-up care for adults with mhGAP disorders in Nigeria, and (2) research the infrastructure in place to support future transnational research. Data analysis in progress.  

    Modification And Evaluation of The DECIDE Intervention to Improve Parent-Provider Interactions in Low-Income Parents of Adolescents with Disruptive Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorder  


    Funding Agency: National Institute of Minority Health and Health 
    ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04445155  

    The purpose of this study was to modify and test the DECIDE (Decide the problem; Explore the questions; Closed or open-ended questions; Identify the who, why, or how of the problem; Direct questions to your health care professional; Enjoy a shared solution) intervention, targeting both parents and providers to increase parents’ voices, engagement, and active participation in all aspects of the child’s care. Dissemination is in progress. 

  • 2023  

     

    2022 

  • Selected list of publications. For a full list of publications, please see CV. 

    RESEARCH ON CHILDREN WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS AND THEIR FAMILY CAREGIVERS

    Ojeleye, O., Beckie, T, & Oruche, U. M. (2023). Psychosocial factors associated with perinatal anxiety and perinatal depression among adolescents: A Rapid Review. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services.

    Bonham, E., Snethen, J. A., Marino, M. A., Oruche, U. M., & Browne, N. T. (2022). American  Academy of Nursing expert panel consensus statement on inequities in the juvenile justice  system rooted in systemic and structural racism. Nursing Outlook, 71(1). Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 0(0), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20230320-02  

    Tanner, A., von Gaudecker, J., Buelow, J., Oruche, U. M., & Miller, W. (2022). “It’s Hard!”:  Adolescents’ experience attending school with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Epilepsy &  Behavior, 132, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.108724 

    Oruche, U. M., Robb, S., Draucker, Claire B., Aalsma, M., Pescosolido, B., Chacko, A., Ofner,  S., & Bakoyannis, G., Brown-Pordgoski, B. (2018). Pilot randomized trial of a family management efficacy intervention for caregivers of African American adolescents with disruptive behaviors. Child & Youth Forum, 47(6), 803-827. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-018-9462-1 

    RESEARCH ON SCREENING, BRIEF INTERVENTION, AND REFERRAL TO TREATMENT (SBIRT) FOR PERSONS WITH ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE USE 

    Oruche, U. M., Adams, N., Xu, J. Crowder, S. Cangany, M., Bracale, J., Ofner, S., & Fulton, J. S (2023). Substance Use Disorder Education: A Statewide Assessment of Core Content in Nursing Schools. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 0(0), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20230320-02  

    Keen, A., Lu, Y., Oruche, U.M., Mazurenko, O, & Draucker, C.B. (2022). Activation of persons  with opioid use disorder in intensive outpatient treatment. Journal of the American Psychiatric  Nurses Association, 00(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10783903221096473  

    MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT IN LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES 

    Von Gaudecker, J., Agbapuonwu, N., Kylolo, Sathiyaseelan, M., & Oruche, U. M. (2022).  Barriers and facilitators to treatment seeking behaviors for depression, epilepsy, and  schizophrenia in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 41, 11-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2022.07.006  

    Oruche, U. M., Hone, A., Liu, J., Otey, T., Okwy, I., & Commodore-Mensah, Y. (2020).  Community engagement to improve the management of non-communicable diseases:  Experiences from medical service trips in southeastern Nigeria. ENGAGE, 1(3), 87-101. 

  • Ukamaka M. Oruche, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN 
    Gordon Keller Professor of Nursing 
    Assistant Dean of the PhD Program
    USF Health College of Nursing 
    12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MDC 22 | Tampa, FL | 33612
     O: 813-396-2524 | orucheu@usf.edu |