Kathryn Lovero, PhD

  • Assistant Professor of Sociomedical Sciences
212-304-5483
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Overview

Dr. Lovero's research aims to improve the prevention and treatment of adolescent mental health problems in low-resource settings, focusing particularly on low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Her work employs multilevel stakeholder engagement and implementation science methods to generate health care delivery models that address the complex drivers of health inequity. She also focuses on the development and validation of measurement instruments for mental health problems as well as the adaptation of implementation science research tools for non-Western settings. Currently, she collaborates with the Mozambican Ministry of Health to develop adolescent mental health services integrated within the national primary care system.

Academic Appointments

  • Assistant Professor of Sociomedical Sciences

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • BS, University of California San Diego
  • PhD, University of California San Francisco

Research

Selected Publications

Lovero KL, dos Santos PF, Kann B, Adam S, Bila C, Rodrigues T, Fernandes, ME, Duarte CS, Beidas RS, Wainberg ML. Leveraging Stakeholder Engagement and Virtual Environments to Develop a Strategy for Implementation of Adolescent Mental Health Services Integrated within Primary Care Clinics of Mozambique. Frontiers in Public Health. 2022 May 26. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.876062.

Come AX, Polanco-Roman L, Dos Santos PF, Fumo W, Mutemba R, Pathare S, Wainberg ML, Oquendo MA, Duarte CS, Mello MF, Lovero KL. Social and Psychiatric Factors of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Mozambican Adolescents. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2022 Apr 19:S0890-8567(22)00193-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2022.03.032. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35452784.

Lovero KL, Basaraba C, Khan S, Suleman A, Mabunda D, Feliciano P, Dos Santos P, Fumo W, Mandlate F, Greene MC, Fiks Salem A, Mootz JJ, Mocumbi AO, Duarte CS, Gouveia L, Oquendo MA, Wall MM, Wainberg ML. Brief Screening Tool for Stepped-Care Management of Mental and Substance Use Disorders. Psychiatr Serv. 2021 Aug 1;72(8):891-897. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000504. Epub 2021 May 17. PubMed PMID: 33993717; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8328865.

Lovero KL, Giusto AM, Wainberg ML. Evidence for efficacy of psychosocial interventions in LMICs. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020 Feb;7(2):113-114. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30531-0. Epub 2020 Jan 13. PMID: 31948936; PMCID: PMC7330888.

Lovero KL, Lammie SL, van Zyl A, Paul SN, Ngwepe P, Mootz JJ, Carlson C, Sweetland AC, Shelton RC, Wainberg ML, Medina-Marino A. Mixed-methods evaluation of mental healthcare integration into tuberculosis and maternal-child healthcare services of four South African districts. BMC Health Serv Res. 2019 Jan 31;19(1):83. doi: 10.1186/s12913-019-3912-9. PMID: 30704459; PMCID: PMC6357439.

Global Health Activities

PRIDE-Youth: Implementing integrated, mHealth care for adolescent depression within primary care clinics of Mozambique: Globally, mental disorders are the largest contributor to burden of disease in adolescents, and the vast majority of youth worldwide do not have access to treatment. Mental health services integrated within primary care and delivered by non-specialists (i.e., task-shifting) offer an efficient and sustainable method to close the adolescent mental health treatment gap. However, research is needed to determine how to effectively implement task-shifted, integrated adolescent mental health care, particularly in low-resource settings. In collaboration with the Mozambican Ministry of Health, we are developing and evaluating a multilevel strategy for implementation of adolescent depression and anxiety services within the national primary care system.

Adapting the Suicide Safety Planning Intervention for Delivery to Adolescents in Mozambican Primary Care Settings: Suicide is ranked as the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10–24 years, and more than 75% of all deaths by suicide occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Mozambique is estimated to have the highest rate of suicides in southern Africa, yet there are no existing services for routine youth suicide risk assessment and treatment. Working with the Ministry of Health, we are using a community-based participatory research approach to adapt and pilot test the Suicide Safety Planning Intervention for adolescents delivered by non-specialists in Mozambican primary care.