Identifying context-specific community understanding of COVID-19 and mental health in Haiti, Malawi, and Rwanda

BACKGROUND: Community health workers (CHWs) play a vital role in spreading health-related information in low-and middle-income countries. Assessing their knowledge is crucial to combat health misinformation. OBJECTIVE: To identify locally relevant COVID-19 and mental health-related information commonly held by CHWs and the misconceptions most prevalent in their communities in Haiti, Malawi, and Rwanda. METHODS: = 14), between February and April 2023. The activity involved free sorting, true/false sorting, and card ranking to assess CHWs' knowledge, beliefs, and misconceptions surrounding COVID-19 and mental health. RESULTS: < 0.001)]. Significant misunderstandings about mental health causes and treatments were influenced by religious and spiritual beliefs. CONCLUSION: CHWs have substantial gaps in information about COVID-19 and mental health. Knowledge of areas of misinformation can differ between countries. Constructing country-specific educational messages to address these areas can better inform CHWs and improve health literacy.