Interpersonal psychotherapy delivered by nonspecialists for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among Kenyan HIV-positive women affected by gender-based violence: Randomized controlled trial.

<h4>Background</h4>HIV-positive women suffer a high burden of mental disorders due in part to gender-based violence (GBV). Comorbid depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are typical psychiatric consequences of GBV. Despite attention to the HIV-GBV syndemic, few HIV clinics...

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Main Authors: Susan M Meffert, Thomas C Neylan, Charles E McCulloch, Kelly Blum, Craig R Cohen, Elizabeth A Bukusi, Helen Verdeli, John C Markowitz, James G Kahn, David Bukusi, Harsha Thirumurthy, Grace Rota, Ray Rota, Grace Oketch, Elizabeth Opiyo, Linnet Ongeri
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Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-01-01
Series:PLoS Medicine
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003468&type=printable
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author Susan M Meffert
Thomas C Neylan
Charles E McCulloch
Kelly Blum
Craig R Cohen
Elizabeth A Bukusi
Helen Verdeli
John C Markowitz
James G Kahn
David Bukusi
Harsha Thirumurthy
Grace Rota
Ray Rota
Grace Oketch
Elizabeth Opiyo
Linnet Ongeri
author_facet Susan M Meffert
Thomas C Neylan
Charles E McCulloch
Kelly Blum
Craig R Cohen
Elizabeth A Bukusi
Helen Verdeli
John C Markowitz
James G Kahn
David Bukusi
Harsha Thirumurthy
Grace Rota
Ray Rota
Grace Oketch
Elizabeth Opiyo
Linnet Ongeri
author_sort Susan M Meffert
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Background</h4>HIV-positive women suffer a high burden of mental disorders due in part to gender-based violence (GBV). Comorbid depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are typical psychiatric consequences of GBV. Despite attention to the HIV-GBV syndemic, few HIV clinics offer formal mental healthcare. This problem is acute in sub-Saharan Africa, where the world's majority of HIV-positive women live and prevalence of GBV is high.<h4>Methods and findings</h4>We conducted a randomized controlled trial at an HIV clinic in Kisumu, Kenya. GBV-affected HIV-positive women with both major depressive disorder (MDD) and PTSD were randomized to 12 sessions of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) plus treatment as usual (TAU) or Wait List+TAU. Nonspecialists were trained to deliver IPT inside the clinic. After 3 months, participants were reassessed, and those assigned to Wait List+TAU were given IPT. The primary outcomes were diagnosis of MDD and PTSD (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included symptom measures of depression and PTSD, intimate partner violence (IPV), and disability. A total of 256 participants enrolled between May 2015 and July 2016. At baseline, the mean age of the women in this study was 37 years; 61% reported physical IPV in the past week; 91% reported 2 or more lifetime traumatic events and monthly income was 18USD. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression showed that participants randomized to IPT+TAU had lower odds of MDD (odds ratio [OR] 0.26, 95% CI [0.11 to 0.60], p = 0.002) and lower odds of PTSD (OR 0.35, [0.14 to 0.86], p = 0.02) than controls. IPT+TAU participants had lower odds of MDD-PTSD comorbidity than controls (OR 0.36, 95% CI [0.15 to 0.90], p = 0.03). Linear mixed models were used to assess secondary outcomes: IPT+TAU participants had reduced disability (-6.9 [-12.2, -1.5], p = 0.01), and nonsignificantly reduced work absenteeism (-3.35 [-6.83, 0.14], p = 0.06); partnered IPT+TAU participants had a reduction of IPV (-2.79 [-5.42, -0.16], p = 0.04). Gains were maintained across 6-month follow-up. Treatment group differences were observed only at month 3, the time point at which the groups differed in IPT status (before cross over). Study limitations included 35% attrition inclusive of follow-up assessments, generalizability to populations not in HIV care, and data not collected on TAU resources accessed.<h4>Conclusions</h4>IPT for MDD and PTSD delivered by nonspecialists in the context of HIV care yielded significant improvements in HIV-positive women's mental health, functioning, and GBV (IPV) exposure, compared to controls.<h4>Trial registration</h4>Clinical Trials Identifier NCT02320799.
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spelling doaj-art-c93d68a18761404ea4e4fe82a0f407d92025-08-20T02:11:01ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Medicine1549-12771549-16762021-01-01181e100346810.1371/journal.pmed.1003468Interpersonal psychotherapy delivered by nonspecialists for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among Kenyan HIV-positive women affected by gender-based violence: Randomized controlled trial.Susan M MeffertThomas C NeylanCharles E McCullochKelly BlumCraig R CohenElizabeth A BukusiHelen VerdeliJohn C MarkowitzJames G KahnDavid BukusiHarsha ThirumurthyGrace RotaRay RotaGrace OketchElizabeth OpiyoLinnet Ongeri<h4>Background</h4>HIV-positive women suffer a high burden of mental disorders due in part to gender-based violence (GBV). Comorbid depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are typical psychiatric consequences of GBV. Despite attention to the HIV-GBV syndemic, few HIV clinics offer formal mental healthcare. This problem is acute in sub-Saharan Africa, where the world's majority of HIV-positive women live and prevalence of GBV is high.<h4>Methods and findings</h4>We conducted a randomized controlled trial at an HIV clinic in Kisumu, Kenya. GBV-affected HIV-positive women with both major depressive disorder (MDD) and PTSD were randomized to 12 sessions of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) plus treatment as usual (TAU) or Wait List+TAU. Nonspecialists were trained to deliver IPT inside the clinic. After 3 months, participants were reassessed, and those assigned to Wait List+TAU were given IPT. The primary outcomes were diagnosis of MDD and PTSD (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included symptom measures of depression and PTSD, intimate partner violence (IPV), and disability. A total of 256 participants enrolled between May 2015 and July 2016. At baseline, the mean age of the women in this study was 37 years; 61% reported physical IPV in the past week; 91% reported 2 or more lifetime traumatic events and monthly income was 18USD. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression showed that participants randomized to IPT+TAU had lower odds of MDD (odds ratio [OR] 0.26, 95% CI [0.11 to 0.60], p = 0.002) and lower odds of PTSD (OR 0.35, [0.14 to 0.86], p = 0.02) than controls. IPT+TAU participants had lower odds of MDD-PTSD comorbidity than controls (OR 0.36, 95% CI [0.15 to 0.90], p = 0.03). Linear mixed models were used to assess secondary outcomes: IPT+TAU participants had reduced disability (-6.9 [-12.2, -1.5], p = 0.01), and nonsignificantly reduced work absenteeism (-3.35 [-6.83, 0.14], p = 0.06); partnered IPT+TAU participants had a reduction of IPV (-2.79 [-5.42, -0.16], p = 0.04). Gains were maintained across 6-month follow-up. Treatment group differences were observed only at month 3, the time point at which the groups differed in IPT status (before cross over). Study limitations included 35% attrition inclusive of follow-up assessments, generalizability to populations not in HIV care, and data not collected on TAU resources accessed.<h4>Conclusions</h4>IPT for MDD and PTSD delivered by nonspecialists in the context of HIV care yielded significant improvements in HIV-positive women's mental health, functioning, and GBV (IPV) exposure, compared to controls.<h4>Trial registration</h4>Clinical Trials Identifier NCT02320799.https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003468&type=printable
spellingShingle Susan M Meffert
Thomas C Neylan
Charles E McCulloch
Kelly Blum
Craig R Cohen
Elizabeth A Bukusi
Helen Verdeli
John C Markowitz
James G Kahn
David Bukusi
Harsha Thirumurthy
Grace Rota
Ray Rota
Grace Oketch
Elizabeth Opiyo
Linnet Ongeri
Interpersonal psychotherapy delivered by nonspecialists for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among Kenyan HIV-positive women affected by gender-based violence: Randomized controlled trial.
PLoS Medicine
title Interpersonal psychotherapy delivered by nonspecialists for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among Kenyan HIV-positive women affected by gender-based violence: Randomized controlled trial.
title_full Interpersonal psychotherapy delivered by nonspecialists for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among Kenyan HIV-positive women affected by gender-based violence: Randomized controlled trial.
title_fullStr Interpersonal psychotherapy delivered by nonspecialists for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among Kenyan HIV-positive women affected by gender-based violence: Randomized controlled trial.
title_full_unstemmed Interpersonal psychotherapy delivered by nonspecialists for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among Kenyan HIV-positive women affected by gender-based violence: Randomized controlled trial.
title_short Interpersonal psychotherapy delivered by nonspecialists for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among Kenyan HIV-positive women affected by gender-based violence: Randomized controlled trial.
title_sort interpersonal psychotherapy delivered by nonspecialists for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among kenyan hiv positive women affected by gender based violence randomized controlled trial
url https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003468&type=printable
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