Single-session digital intervention for adolescent depression, anxiety, and well-being: Outcomes of a randomized controlled trial with Kenyan adolescents
| Autor: | John R. Weisz, Christine Wasanga, Rediet Alemu, Susana Arango G, Benny H. Otieno, Jenny Gan, Rebecca M. Shingleton, Katherine E. Venturo-Conerly, Tom L. Osborn, Elizabeth Roe, Akash R. Wasil, Micaela Rodriguez |
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| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Generalized anxiety disorder Adolescent medicine.medical_treatment Psychological intervention PsycINFO Anxiety law.invention Randomized controlled trial law Intervention (counseling) medicine Humans Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Depression medicine.disease Mental health Kenya Cognitive behavioral therapy Psychiatry and Mental health Clinical Psychology Treatment Outcome Female medicine.symptom Psychology Clinical psychology |
| Zdroj: | Journal of consulting and clinical psychology. 88(7) |
| ISSN: | 1939-2117 |
| Popis: | Background: Adolescent depression and anxiety symptoms are prevalent in Sub-Saharan African countries, yet treatment options are scarce, and stigma limits help-seeking. Brief, computerized single-session interventions (SSIs) that contain empirically supported stigma-reducing elements may help expand access to treatment. We developed and evaluated such an intervention for Kenyan adolescents. Method: High school students (N=103, age 13-18) were randomized to a digital SSI Shamiri-Digital (Shamiri means “thrive” in Kiswahili) or a study-skills control intervention. Shamiri-Digital consisted of reading and writing activities about three concepts: growth mindset, gratitude, and value affirmation. Both Shamiri-Digital and the study-skills control condition were delivered electronically in schools. Results: Compared to the control, Shamiri-Digital produced greater reduction in adolescent depression symptoms in both the full sample (p = 0.028, d = 0.50) and a sub-sample of youths with moderate-to-severe depression symptoms (p = 0.010, d = 0.83) from baseline to two-week follow-up. The effects exceed the mean effects reported in meta-analyses of full-length, face-to-face psychotherapy for youth depression. There were no significant effects on anxiety symptoms, well-being, or happiness. Conclusion: This is the first report that a brief, computerized SSI may reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa. Replication trials with extended follow-ups will help gauge the strength and durability of these effects. Trial Registration Number: (registration number masked). Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR). Public Health Significance: This study provides evidence that a brief single-session positive-psychology intervention may help reduce depressive symptoms of adolescents living in Sub Saharan Africa, where there are few mental health professionals, and stigma limits help-seeking |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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