Evaluating the Effectiveness of Technology Assisted School Mental Health Program to Improve Socio-emotional Wellbeing of School Going Children in Public Schools of Rural Pakistan: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (cRCT)

Background

An estimated 10-20% of children globally are affected by a mental health problem. Child mental health has been identified as a priority issue by the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (WHO EMRO). Following consultations with international and regional experts and stakeholders, WHO EMRO developed an evidence-based School Mental Health Program (SMHP), endorsed by WHO EMRO member countries, including Pakistan. The federal and provincial health departments in Pakistan made recommendations for a phased implementation of the SMHP in a pilot district. In the formative phase of this program, a number of implementation challenges were identified by the stakeholders. Broadly, these included the need to operationalize and adapt the existing components of the intervention to the local context and to develop sustainable mechanisms for delivery of quality training and supervision.

Informed by the results of a formative phase investigations, the SHINE scale-up research team adapted the SMHP (henceforth called Conventional SMHP or cSMHP) to address these implementation challenges. The enhanced version of the intervention is called Enhanced School Mental Health Program (eSMHP). Enhancements to cSMHP have occurred at two levels: A) Content enhancements, such as a collaborative care model for engaging parents/primary caregivers, strategies for teacher's wellbeing, and adaptation and operationalization of particular clinical intervention strategies and B) Technological enhancements which include adaptation of the training manual for delivery using an online training platform, and a 'Chat-bot' to aid the implementation of intervention strategies in classroom settings.

Objectives

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of eSMHP in reducing socio-emotional difficulties in school-going children, aged 8-13, compared to cSMHP in Gujar Khan, a rural sub-district of Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

The secondary objectives are to compare the cost-effectiveness, acceptability, adoption, appropriateness (including cultural appropriateness), feasibility, penetration and sustainability of scaled-up implementation of eSMHP and cSMHP. It is hypothesized that eSMHP will prove to be both more effective and more scalable than cSMHP.

Study population

The research is embedded within the phased district level implementation of the cSMHP in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The study population will consist of children of both genders, aged 8-13 (n=960) with socio-emotional difficulties, studying in rural public schools of sub-district Gujar Khan in Rawalpindi.

Design

The proposed study design is a cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT), embedded within the conventional implementation of the SMHP. Following relevant ethics committees and regulatory approvals, 80 eligible schools, stratified by gender, will be randomized into intervention and control arms with a 1:1 allocation ratio. Following informed consent from the parent/ primary caregiver, children will be screened for socio-emotional difficulties using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). 960 children scoring > 12 on the teacher-rated SDQ total difficulty scores and > 14 on the parent-rated SDQ total difficulty scores will be recruited and equally randomized into intervention and control arms (480 in each arm).

Teachers in the intervention arm will receive training in eSMHP, whereas teachers in the active control will be trained in cSMHP. Trained teachers will deliver the program to children in their respective arms.

Outcome measures

Primary Outcome: The primary outcome is reduction in socio-emotional total difficulties scores, measured with the parent-rated SDQ, 9 months after commencing intervention delivery.

Secondary Outcomes: Implementation data on acceptability, adoption, appropriateness (including cultural appropriateness), feasibility, penetration and sustainability outcomes will be collected from children, parents/primary caregivers, head teachers and teachers. In addition, data will be collected on self-reported Psychological Outcome Profiles (PSYCHLOPS)-KIDS to measure progress on psycho-social problems and wellbeing; annual academic performance; classroom absenteeism, stigmatizing experiences and parent-teacher interaction. Data on teachers' sense of efficacy and subjective well-being, and on the schools' psychosocial environment profile will be collected. All secondary outcome data will be collected at baseline and 9 months after commencing intervention delivery.

Outcomes will be analyzed on an intention to treat basis. The role of various factors as potential mediators and moderators eSMHP effectiveness will be explored.

Cost-effectiveness evaluation of SMHP shall be evaluated in terms of costs associated with implementation of eSMHP compared with cSMHP.