Overview
Brandon Knettel, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and Assistant Professor with a primary appointment in the Duke University School of Nursing and a secondary appointment in the Duke Global Health Institute. His areas of specialization are global mental health and health behavior, with a focus on care engagement, nurse-led models of care, stigma reduction, and mental health support for people living with HIV. At DGHI, he teaches a course in Global Mental Health for the Master's of Science in Global Health program.
Dr. Knettel’s international projects are primarily located in Moshi, Tanzania, where he completed a one-year VECD Fogarty Global Health Fellowship to evaluate a community health worker program for HIV care engagement. In 2021, he received a NIMH K08 Career Development Award to develop a brief telehealth counseling intervention to address suicidal ideation and improve care engagement among people living with HIV in Tanzania. He is also leading pilot research to extend access to treatment for opioid use disorder in North Carolina, and was co-PI of a DGHI pilot grant to improve the understanding of cancer-related stigma in Tanzania.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Experiences of cancer-related stigma in Africa: A scoping review.
Journal Article Int J Cancer · June 15, 2025 Cancer is a major health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where 70% of cancer deaths occur. Stigma and barriers to screening and treatment lead to poor outcomes. We conducted structured searches of PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, an ... Full text Link to item CiteDevelopment of a brief telehealth-delivered counseling intervention to reduce suicide risk and improve HIV care engagement in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.
Journal Article Eval Program Plann · March 8, 2025 Death by suicide is common among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Tanzania, and is strongly influenced by HIV stigma, lack of social support, and HIV-associated stress. Screening and intervention strategies for reducing suicidality, however, are not incorp ... Full text Link to item CiteNavigating Through the Darkness: An Exploratory Study Unraveling the Experience of Hospitalization of Adolescents and Their Caregivers Amid Suicidal Presentations.
Journal Article Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol · March 7, 2025 Suicide prevention and treatment guidelines for pediatric patients often mirror adult strategies. Distinguishing itself from other pediatric specialties, when a child is psychiatrically hospitalized, the child is typically separated from their family, desp ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Sauti ya Vijana (The Voice of Youth), a Mental Health and Life Skills Intervention to Improve HIV Outcomes Among Young People Living with HIV in Tanzania
ResearchPsychologist · Awarded by National Institute of Mental Health · 2021 - 2026Building Research Capacity for Mental Health Nursing in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre · 2023 - 2025Assessing the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Telehealth Hub to Reduce Suicidality and Improve HIV Care Engagement in a Tanzanian Health System
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2025View All Grants