African Youth in Mind (Y-MIND) - Pilot Feasibility Trial of a Brief Psychological Intervention for Older Adolescents with Depression Delivered Through Senior High Schools in Navrongo, Ghana

NCT ID: NCT06740084

Last Updated: 2024-12-18

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-07-01

Study Completion Date

2025-02-01

Brief Summary

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The overarching aim of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility of implementing a psychological intervention (Y-MIND), delivered by school guidance and counselling coordinators, for the treatment of depression among adolescents in senior high schools in Ghana. The study is a parallel arm cluster randomised controlled pilot trial. We will recruit adolescents aged 15 to 18 years in senior high schools. Participants will be randomised to receive the Y-MIND psychological intervention or enhanced usual care.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Depression Disorders

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Enhanced Usual Care

Enhanced Usual Care (EUC): Guidance and counselling coordinators in the schools provide some counselling to students who need it. Building on the existing structure, enhanced usual care in the Y-MIND programme, will be enhanced in three ways 1) Teaching staff will receive basic training on common mental health conditions affecting youth in Ghana with an emphasis on depression and suicidal symptoms and treatment. 2) Nurses in all schools and other relevant local health care professionals will be trained in mental health, substance-use and self-harm including guidelines on when and where to refer young people for psychiatric care. 3) The study team will provide a letter for the Guidance and Counselling Coordinators for the participant.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Enhanced Usual Care

Intervention Type OTHER

Enhanced Usual Care (EUC): Guidance and counselling coordinators in the schools provide some counselling to students who need it. Building on the existing structure, enhanced usual care in the Y-mind programme, will be enhanced in three ways: 1) Teaching staff will receive basic training on common mental health conditions affecting youth in Ghana with an emphasis on depression and suicidal symptoms and treatment. The WHO guidelines for school health services will form the basis for the training for teachers. 2) Nurses in all schools and other relevant local health care professionals will be trained in mental health, substance-use and self-harm including guidelines on when and where to refer young people for psychiatric care. The World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap intervention guide (mhGAP) will be used for training of nurses and other health care professionals . 3) The study team will provide a letter for the Guidance and Counselling Coordinators for the participant.

Y-MIND Intervention

All participants in the intervention arm will receive the EUC plus the Y-Mind intervention. Y-Mind intervention will be delivered by trained and supervised Guidance and Counselling Coordinators (GCC) at schools in 6 sessions. The six sessions will include a) psychoeducation on depression, b) behavioural activation (helping the participant see the connection between their behaviour, daily activities, and low mood and activity scheduling) and c) problem-solving therapy (the GCC helps the participant identify and define a specific problem to work on, evaluate the potential solutions to the problem, and carry out the selected solution(s)).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Y-MIND Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

All participants in the intervention arm will receive the EUC plus the Y-Mind intervention. Y-Mind intervention will be delivered by trained and supervised Guidance and Counselling Coordinators (GCC) at schools in 6 sessions. The six sessions will include a) psychoeducation on depression, b) behavioural activation (helping the participant see the connection between their behaviour, daily activities, and low mood and activity scheduling) and c) problem-solving therapy (the GCC helps the participant identify and define a specific problem to work on, evaluate the potential solutions to the problem, and carry out the selected solution(s)).

Interventions

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Y-MIND Intervention

All participants in the intervention arm will receive the EUC plus the Y-Mind intervention. Y-Mind intervention will be delivered by trained and supervised Guidance and Counselling Coordinators (GCC) at schools in 6 sessions. The six sessions will include a) psychoeducation on depression, b) behavioural activation (helping the participant see the connection between their behaviour, daily activities, and low mood and activity scheduling) and c) problem-solving therapy (the GCC helps the participant identify and define a specific problem to work on, evaluate the potential solutions to the problem, and carry out the selected solution(s)).

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Enhanced Usual Care

Enhanced Usual Care (EUC): Guidance and counselling coordinators in the schools provide some counselling to students who need it. Building on the existing structure, enhanced usual care in the Y-mind programme, will be enhanced in three ways: 1) Teaching staff will receive basic training on common mental health conditions affecting youth in Ghana with an emphasis on depression and suicidal symptoms and treatment. The WHO guidelines for school health services will form the basis for the training for teachers. 2) Nurses in all schools and other relevant local health care professionals will be trained in mental health, substance-use and self-harm including guidelines on when and where to refer young people for psychiatric care. The World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap intervention guide (mhGAP) will be used for training of nurses and other health care professionals . 3) The study team will provide a letter for the Guidance and Counselling Coordinators for the participant.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Adolescents aged 15 to 18 years in senior high schools located within the Kassena-Nankana Municipality and Kassena-Nankana West District
* Have scored 10 or more on the locally validated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
* be willing and able to be followed up for 5 months and provide informed consent or assent
* For adolescents 15-17 years participants must have 5) access to a caregiver to obtain informed consent
* All participants must have the ability to read, write and communicate in English language.

Exclusion Criteria

* are currently receiving any psychological treatment (talking therapy) for any common mental disorder through formal health care services
* have active bipolar disorder or psychosis (assessed through a brief screening tool for bipolar disorder and psychosis)
* have advanced or chronic physical illness (assessed through self-report)
* have significant visual or hearing impairment which would interfere with their ability to take part in the study
* are actively suicidal (assessed through the use of a four-item screening tool administered by a psychiatric nurse and reviewed by the trial clinical psychologist
Minimum Eligible Age

15 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Zimbabwe

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Ghana

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Kamuzu University of Health Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

King's College London

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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Navrongo Health Research Centre

Navrongo, , Ghana

Site Status

Countries

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Ghana

References

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Jopling R, Attah D, Abas M, Adde KS, Goldsmith K, Bere T, Nyamayaro P, Aborigo RA, Barrett B, Owusu L, Glozah F, Akanlu A, Bawa S, Achana FS, Danese A, Smith P, Seward N, Kumwenda M, Chibanda D, Weobong B. 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. 2025 Apr 1;20(4):e0319462. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319462. eCollection 2025.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40168302 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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NIHR133384

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

HR/DP-23/24-38948

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id