Welcome to the online home of Dr. Deborah Oyine Aluh, a fresh and innovative voice in Global Mental Health. With a recently completed doctoral degree from the Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health, Deborah has dedicated the last three years to researching the use of coercion in mental health care. Her investigation of the contextual factors that influence this controversial practice spans two continents, offering comparative insights from Nigeria and Portugal—representatives of the Global South and North, respectively. The La Caixa Foundation PhD fellowship facilitated this research. A peer-reviewed article resulting from her PhD research was selected for the Portuguese National Prize, Premio Joao Monjardino 2023.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Deborah is dedicated to applying her research findings practically and meaningfully. She has collaborated to provide training for mental health professionals across Nigeria and Portugal, sharing strategies on ways to reduce coercive practices in mental health services. She is a three-minute thesis competition winner, a TEDx speaker, and a writer.

With research experience in African and European contexts, Deborah Oyine Aluh is poised to profoundly impact the landscape of Global Mental Health, championing ethical practices and nurturing a global dialogue on the humane treatment of people with mental health conditions.