Hinda Farah is a rising senior at Portland State University in Oregon pursuing a degree in Psychology on the pre-medicine trackway. Growing up immersed in a rich cultural heritage and observing the profound struggles of loved ones with severe mental health conditions, they developed a keen awareness of the multifaceted challenges and pervasive stigma surrounding mental illness. Their experiences demonstrated early on how mental health stigma manifests across diverse cultures and showed the critical role of intersectionality in shaping these perceptions.
This summer, they interned at the Columbia-WHO Global Mental Health Program, working under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Mootz. Their primary focus was writing a grant application in collaboration with the Mozambique Ministry of Health for the National Institute of Drug Abuse to address the opioid crisis in Mozambique. Hinda’s contributions included conducting a literature review, researching, and writing sections of the grant application, and collaborating with Mozambican partners to prepare necessary documents and materials. They also supported various communication tasks for the project, including reviewing and translating materials. Additionally, they provided assistance with several tasks for their PI’s upcoming book publication.
Hinda is grateful for this life-altering internship, which has enriched her both professionally and personally. Collaborating with esteemed professionals has fortified her commitment to de-stigmatizing mental health and improving accessibility for underrepresented communities. These experiences have provided invaluable insights and connections, empowering her to pursue her dream of fortifying Somalia’s mental health system and pioneering impactful research in Africa. She is dedicated to creating accessible and culturally meaningful mental health care models. Hinda looks forward to continuing her work with Dr. Mootz and contributing to global mental health initiatives.