Improving adolescent mental health by reducing the impact of poverty

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Prevention of depression and anxiety among at-risk adolescents living in poverty; Mental and Behavioural Disorders

• Registration Number: ISRCTN14601588
• Lead Sponsor: King's College London

Brief Summary

Not available

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2024-04-29
• Last Update Posted: 13 May 2024
• Study Completion: 2025-11-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Ongoing
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 1440

Inclusion Criteria

The inclusion criteria for the participants recruited in the pilot cluster RCT are as follows:

1.Adolescents
1.1.Aged 13-15 years at the time of the first assessment;
1.2.Fluent in the local language (Spanish in Colombia, Nepali in Nepal, and English in South Africa);
1.3.Living in high level of multidimensional poverty, defined:
1.3.1.In Colombia, as living in one of two districts categorised as multidimensionally poor by the National Statistics Office using the Multidimensional Poverty Index;
1.3.2.In South Africa, as attending schools from quintiles 1, 2 or 3, which are public schools that have been declared exempt from charging school fees based on the economic level of the surrounding community;
1.3.3.In Nepal, as screening positive on a self-developed poverty screener, developed using items from the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index and based on poverty assessment-related literature and expert consultations (since children attending public schools come from diverse backgrounds);
1.4.With symptom scores below thresholds for depression and anxiety using the validated Patient Health Questionnaire – Adolescent version PHQ-A (for depression) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (for anxiety)
1.5.Whose primary caregiver is enrolled in the study (in Colombia and South Africa).

2.Caregivers
2.1.Aged 18 years or more; with their consent to participate in the pilot cRCT;
2.2.Fluent in the local language (Spanish in Colombia, Nepali in Nepal, and English, isiXhosa or Afrikaans in South Africa);
2.3.Living in high level of multidimensional poverty, defined as (i) living in an area with reported high levels of multidimensional poverty (Colombia), (ii) their child attending a school from quintile 1, 2 or 3 (South Africa), (iii) their child screening positive on a self-developed screener (Nepal);
2.4.Their child (biological or foster) is enrolled in the study.

Exclusion Criteria

The exclusion criteria are:

1.Adolescents self-reporting suicidality (also referred to high suicide risk), defined as current suicidal ideation with intent or plans over the past month, or suicidal attempt during the past 3 months (Nepal) or lifetime suicidal attempt (Colombia and South Africa)
2.Adolescents or caregivers with a significant disability that impacts participation in intervention or assessments (that cannot be overcome with reasonable adjustments)
3.Unaccompanied minors, and adolescents who are married, due to challenges with legal consent of caregivers

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified