Sophia El Ouazzani

Academic position: PhD Student

Department: Division of Psychiatry

Email: sophia.ouazzani.18@ucl.ac.uk

Biography:

I am a dedicated Ph.D. student in Global Mental Health at University College London, focusing on occupational justice and recovery for individuals with mental health disabilities. My research explores cross-cultural psychiatry and cultural adaptations to mental health services, notably in Morocco and diverse communities in Canada, including immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees.

As a certified mental health occupational therapist, my collaboration with ethnoculturally diverse groups has heightened my cultural sensitivity and addressed challenges in mental health rehabilitation access. Notably during my work with Humanity & Inclusion, I actively collaborated with healthcare and community workers, as well as policymakers, contributing to the development of a culturally acceptable occupational therapy practice in Morocco.

My participation in the steering committee for UCL Critical Global Health Network is a great opportunity to further my knowledge in Critical Global Mental Health and learn more about decolonising mental health practices for ethnoculturally diverse population and settings. To support the sharing of knowledge among ECRs across discipline and expertise is a great opportunity, in my sense, to gain various perspectives on current global challenges and efficiently achieve common goals in Global Health.

Research Projects:

1. Ouazzani, S. E., Zanga-Martin, I., & Burgess, R. (2021). Culture and Mental Healthcare Access in the Moroccan Context. Health Communication and Disease in Africa: Beliefs, Traditions and Stigma, 249-270. (DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-2546-6)

2. Zango-Martin, Inmaculada, et al. “Understanding the role and importance of occupational therapy in mental health services in Morocco: Perspectives from mental health professionals.” Work 72.2 (2022): 775-784. (DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213644)

Find out more

Sophia El Ouazzani is on the steering group of the UCL Critical Global Health Network. Find out more about the network here.