Depression Genetics in Africa (DepGenAfrica): protocol for the first large-scale case-control study of major depressive disorder among continental Africans

9 November, 2025

Dear HIFA colleagues,

Mental health issues are a growing unaddressed public mental health concern on the African continent.

It is becoming critical to have large-scale research that can provide mental health data to support informed decisions at all levels.

The Depression Genetics in Africa (DepGenAfrica) is an example of such a large-scale study.

There is need to have more of such studies to understand how common to severe mental illnesses affect Africans living on the African continent.

Please if you want to read more about the study :

https://wellcomeopenresearch.org/articles/10-335

Best wishes,

Didier Demassosso

HIFA country represenative coordinator WHO Afro region

Mental health advocate

Didier Demassosso

Mental Health Expert

HIFA Country Coordinator For WHO AFRO Region

HIFA Country representative of the year 2014

MHIN Africa Knowledge Exchange Assistant

Member of the African Evidence Network (AEN)

Cameroon Human Right Fellow 2017

http://www.hifa.org

Tel :(237) 670-14-01-23/694-90-20-29

twitter:@DDemassosso

skype: Didier Demassosso

linkedin.com/in/didier-demassosso

HIFA profile: Didier Demassosso is a mental health practitioner, Consultant (WHO , MoPH Cameroon...), Mental health advocate , Youth advocate with 10 years experience in mental health development in Cameroon. He is also a health communicator and educationist. HIFA Country Representative For Cameroon/ HIFA Country Representative of the year 2014 / Regional Coordinator for Africa. He also currently volunteers for the Mental Health Innovation Network Africa as Knowledge Exchange Assistant. https://www.hifa.org/support/members/didier