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

NCT06740084 | Active Not Recruiting DMC

• 2 other identifiers: HR/DP-23/24-38948NIHR133384
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Depression Disorders

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Feasibility of the intervention

  Feasibility of the intervention will be measured using the 'Feasibility of Intervention Measure' (FIM) with adolescents who received the Y-MIND intervention.

  At the end of treatment (week 6) (or at their 5 months post baseline assessment if the treatment sessions were not attended)

• Symptoms of depression

  Symptoms of depression at 5 months post baseline assessment measured as the difference in mean score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) between the two arms. Difference in mean PHQ-9 would likely constitute a primary outcome in a later larger definitive trial.

  5 months post baseline assessment

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Acceptability and appropriateness of the intervention

  At end of Y-MIND intervention sessions or at 5 months post baseline assessment

• Feasibility of the intervention (Guidance and Counselling Coordinators)

  At the end of treatment delivery

• Fidelity to delivering the psychological intervention

  From the first treatment session (week 1) to the end of treatment (week 6)

• Symptoms of anxiety

  5 months post baseline assessment

• Alcohol use

  5 months post baseline assessment

Other Outcomes (2)

• Feasibility of conducting a fully powered trial

  Screening to 5 months post baseline assessment

• Resource use and cost of the Y-MIND psychological intervention

  Baseline to 5 month post baseline assessment

Study Arms (2)

Enhanced Usual Care

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

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.

Other: Enhanced Usual Care

Y-MIND Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

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)).

Behavioral: Y-MIND Intervention

Interventions

Y-MIND Intervention 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)).

Y-MIND Intervention

Enhanced Usual Care 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.

Enhanced Usual Care

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• 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.

You may not qualify if:

• 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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• King's College London: lead
• University of Zimbabwe: collaborator
• University of Ghana: collaborator
• Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana: collaborator
• Kamuzu University of Health Sciences: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Navrongo Health Research Centre

Navrongo, Ghana

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Attah DA, Bere CT, Smith P, Adde KS, Bawa S, Achana F, Owusu L, Dambayi E, Ayuure C, Jopling R, Glozah F, Aborigo R, Chibanda D, Abas M, Weobong B. The African youth in mind (Y-MIND) brief psychological intervention for depression among school-going adolescents in Ghana: a development case series. BMC Psychiatry. 2026 Mar 5. doi: 10.1186/s12888-026-07938-w. Online ahead of print.

  PMID: 41787357 DERIVED

• 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.

  PMID: 40168302 DERIVED

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 9, 2024
• First Posted: December 18, 2024
• Study Start: July 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Last Updated: March 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Locations

GH (1)