African Youth in Mind - Protocol of a Pilot feasibility trial of a brief psychological Intervention for older adolescents with depression delivered through senior high schools in Navrongo, Ghana.

In Ghana, one in three adolescents are at risk of experiencing depression. However, access to treatment is limited due to the poor integration of mental health services into primary healthcare systems. Evidence-based interventions, especially psychological therapies and antidepressant medication, ca...

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Main Authors: Rebecca Jopling, Dzifa Attah, Melanie Abas, Kenneth Setorwu Adde, Kimberley Goldsmith, Tarisai Bere, Primrose Nyamayaro, Raymond Akawire Aborigo, Barbara Barrett, Lucy Owusu, Franklin Glozah, Anthony Akanlu, Simon Bawa, Fabian Sabastian Achana, Andrea Danese, Patrick Smith, Nadine Seward, Moses Kumwenda, Dixon Chibanda, Benedict Weobong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0319462&type=printable
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author Rebecca Jopling
Dzifa Attah
Melanie Abas
Kenneth Setorwu Adde
Kimberley Goldsmith
Tarisai Bere
Primrose Nyamayaro
Raymond Akawire Aborigo
Barbara Barrett
Lucy Owusu
Franklin Glozah
Anthony Akanlu
Simon Bawa
Fabian Sabastian Achana
Andrea Danese
Patrick Smith
Nadine Seward
Moses Kumwenda
Dixon Chibanda
Benedict Weobong
author_facet Rebecca Jopling
Dzifa Attah
Melanie Abas
Kenneth Setorwu Adde
Kimberley Goldsmith
Tarisai Bere
Primrose Nyamayaro
Raymond Akawire Aborigo
Barbara Barrett
Lucy Owusu
Franklin Glozah
Anthony Akanlu
Simon Bawa
Fabian Sabastian Achana
Andrea Danese
Patrick Smith
Nadine Seward
Moses Kumwenda
Dixon Chibanda
Benedict Weobong
author_sort Rebecca Jopling
collection DOAJ
description In Ghana, one in three adolescents are at risk of experiencing depression. However, access to treatment is limited due to the poor integration of mental health services into primary healthcare systems. Evidence-based interventions, especially psychological therapies and antidepressant medication, can restore health and functioning for depressed youth. Ghana currently runs a policy of free Senior High Secondary Education and aims to implement a national adolescent health policy. However, the mental health component is poorly developed. Our formative research informed the adaptation of a 6-session psychological intervention for depression, suitable for school-going youth aged 15-18 in Ghana. The aim of this study is to conduct a pilot trial of this 'African Youth in Mind' (Y-MIND) intervention, to answer questions of feasibility and acceptability before evaluating the intervention in a larger definitive trial. The Y-MIND intervention blends evidence-based problem-solving therapy with behavioural activation and psychoeducation. The intervention will be delivered by trained and supervised guidance and counselling coordinators. The study is a parallel arm cluster randomised controlled pilot trial. Six senior high schools will each be randomly allocated 2:1 to either the intervention condition or enhanced usual care (EUC). 60 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years in senior high schools who have scored have scored 10 or more on the locally validated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) will be randomised. The feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of the intervention will be assessed using short quantitative measures, and qualitative interviews with adolescents and guidance and counselling coordinators. Symptoms of depression will be measured at 5 months post baseline assessment. Outcomes for anxiety, fidelity to the intervention, and cost effectiveness evaluation will also be collected. This will be the first feasibility trial of a task-shifted psychological treatment (Y-MIND) for adolescents with depression delivered by Guidance and Counselling Coordinators in high schools in any African country. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT06740084.
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spelling doaj-art-3a0bf841f08444a8b7d46c3cd73e3da82025-08-20T02:22:24ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01204e031946210.1371/journal.pone.0319462African Youth in Mind - Protocol of a Pilot feasibility trial of a brief psychological Intervention for older adolescents with depression delivered through senior high schools in Navrongo, Ghana.Rebecca JoplingDzifa AttahMelanie AbasKenneth Setorwu AddeKimberley GoldsmithTarisai BerePrimrose NyamayaroRaymond Akawire AborigoBarbara BarrettLucy OwusuFranklin GlozahAnthony AkanluSimon BawaFabian Sabastian AchanaAndrea DanesePatrick SmithNadine SewardMoses KumwendaDixon ChibandaBenedict WeobongIn Ghana, one in three adolescents are at risk of experiencing depression. However, access to treatment is limited due to the poor integration of mental health services into primary healthcare systems. Evidence-based interventions, especially psychological therapies and antidepressant medication, can restore health and functioning for depressed youth. Ghana currently runs a policy of free Senior High Secondary Education and aims to implement a national adolescent health policy. However, the mental health component is poorly developed. Our formative research informed the adaptation of a 6-session psychological intervention for depression, suitable for school-going youth aged 15-18 in Ghana. The aim of this study is to conduct a pilot trial of this 'African Youth in Mind' (Y-MIND) intervention, to answer questions of feasibility and acceptability before evaluating the intervention in a larger definitive trial. The Y-MIND intervention blends evidence-based problem-solving therapy with behavioural activation and psychoeducation. The intervention will be delivered by trained and supervised guidance and counselling coordinators. The study is a parallel arm cluster randomised controlled pilot trial. Six senior high schools will each be randomly allocated 2:1 to either the intervention condition or enhanced usual care (EUC). 60 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years in senior high schools who have scored have scored 10 or more on the locally validated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) will be randomised. The feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of the intervention will be assessed using short quantitative measures, and qualitative interviews with adolescents and guidance and counselling coordinators. Symptoms of depression will be measured at 5 months post baseline assessment. Outcomes for anxiety, fidelity to the intervention, and cost effectiveness evaluation will also be collected. This will be the first feasibility trial of a task-shifted psychological treatment (Y-MIND) for adolescents with depression delivered by Guidance and Counselling Coordinators in high schools in any African country. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT06740084.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0319462&type=printable
spellingShingle Rebecca Jopling
Dzifa Attah
Melanie Abas
Kenneth Setorwu Adde
Kimberley Goldsmith
Tarisai Bere
Primrose Nyamayaro
Raymond Akawire Aborigo
Barbara Barrett
Lucy Owusu
Franklin Glozah
Anthony Akanlu
Simon Bawa
Fabian Sabastian Achana
Andrea Danese
Patrick Smith
Nadine Seward
Moses Kumwenda
Dixon Chibanda
Benedict Weobong
African Youth in Mind - Protocol of a Pilot feasibility trial of a brief psychological Intervention for older adolescents with depression delivered through senior high schools in Navrongo, Ghana.
PLoS ONE
title African Youth in Mind - Protocol of a Pilot feasibility trial of a brief psychological Intervention for older adolescents with depression delivered through senior high schools in Navrongo, Ghana.
title_full African Youth in Mind - Protocol of a Pilot feasibility trial of a brief psychological Intervention for older adolescents with depression delivered through senior high schools in Navrongo, Ghana.
title_fullStr African Youth in Mind - Protocol of a Pilot feasibility trial of a brief psychological Intervention for older adolescents with depression delivered through senior high schools in Navrongo, Ghana.
title_full_unstemmed African Youth in Mind - Protocol of a Pilot feasibility trial of a brief psychological Intervention for older adolescents with depression delivered through senior high schools in Navrongo, Ghana.
title_short African Youth in Mind - Protocol of a Pilot feasibility trial of a brief psychological Intervention for older adolescents with depression delivered through senior high schools in Navrongo, Ghana.
title_sort african youth in mind protocol of a pilot feasibility trial of a brief psychological intervention for older adolescents with depression delivered through senior high schools in navrongo ghana
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0319462&type=printable
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