Research Summary  

July 2024 – June 2029 

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Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women globally and is increasingly recognised as a major public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Many breast cancer survivors experience comorbid depression, which can negatively affect treatment adherence, quality of life, psychosocial functioning, and long-term health outcomes. However, mental health support remains poorly integrated into cancer care pathways in many resource-constrained settings. 

This NIHR RIGHT-funded project aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a culturally adapted integrated psychosocial care programme for breast cancer survivors experiencing depression in Pakistan, with potential applicability across other LMICs. The programme combines psychological support, behavioural interventions, patient education, and enhanced care coordination within existing oncology services. A strong emphasis is placed on cultural adaptation, stakeholder involvement, and implementation feasibility to ensure relevance, acceptability, and sustainability in low-resource contexts. 

Using a multidisciplinary and mixed-methods approach, the study will assess clinical effectiveness, implementation processes, patient experiences, and health-system impacts. The project also includes capacity building, workforce development, and public engagement activities to strengthen local research and healthcare infrastructure. Findings will generate evidence on scalable models of integrated cancer and mental healthcare and contribute to improving survivorship outcomes, mental wellbeing, and health equity in underserved populations. 

Research team 

Lead investigator(s): 
Professor Nasim Chaudhry (Ishrat Husain Pakistan Institute of Living and Learning (PILL)) 

Joint Lead Applicant: 
Professor Parveen Ali (University of Sheffield) 

Co-investigators: 
Dr Amy Blakemore, Dr Binafsha Manzoor Syed, Dr Helen Brooks, Dr Maria Panagioti, Dr Rakhshi Memon, Dr Siham Sikander, Dr Tayyeba Kiran, Mr Muhammad Nasir, Professor Andrea Cipriani, Professor Duolao Wang, Professor Karina Lovell, Professor Lucie Byrne-Davis, Professor Madiha Hashmi, Professor Nashi Khan, Professor Nusrat Husain, Professor Roman Kislov, Professor Saeed Farooq, Professor Zia Ul Haq.

Partners and funding  

Project enquiries 

Professor Roman Kislov, r.kislov@mmu.ac.uk