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A community health volunteer delivered problem-solving therapy mobile application based on the Friendship Bench ‘Inuka Coaching’ in Kenya: A pilot cohort study

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A community health volunteer delivered problem-solving therapy mobile application based on the Friendship Bench ‘Inuka Coaching’ in Kenya: A pilot cohort study. / Doukani, Asmae ; van Dalen, Robin; Valev, Hristo et al.
In: Global Mental Health, Vol. 8, e9, 31.03.2021, p. 1-11.

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Doukani A, van Dalen R, Valev H, Njenga A, Sera F, Chibanda D. A community health volunteer delivered problem-solving therapy mobile application based on the Friendship Bench ‘Inuka Coaching’ in Kenya: A pilot cohort study. Global Mental Health. 2021 Mar 31;8:1-11. e9. Epub 2021 Mar 10. doi: 10.1017/gmh.2021.3

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@article{312af240ad694eddbb9e88034efed304,
title = "A community health volunteer delivered problem-solving therapy mobile application based on the Friendship Bench {\textquoteleft}Inuka Coaching{\textquoteright} in Kenya: A pilot cohort study",
abstract = "BackgroundSub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the largest care gap for common mental disorders (CMDs) globally, heralding the use of cost-cutting approaches such as task-shifting and digital technologies as viable approaches for expanding the mental health workforce. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a problem-solving therapy (PST) intervention that is delivered by community health volunteers (CHVs) through a mobile application called {\textquoteleft}Inuka coaching{\textquoteright} in Kenya.MethodsA pilot prospective cohort study recruited participants from 18 health centres in Kenya. People who self-screened were eligible if they scored 8 or higher on the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20), were aged 18 years or older, conversant in written and spoken English, and familiar with the use of smart mobile devices. The intervention consisted of four PST mobile application chat-sessions delivered by CHVs. CMD measures were administered at baseline, 4-weeks (post-treatment), and at 3-months follow-up assessment.ResultsIn all, 80 participants consented to the study, of which 60 participants (female, n = 38; male, n = 22) completed their 4-week assessments, and 52 participants completed their 3-month follow-up assessment. The results showed a significant improvement over time on the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20). Higher-range income, not reporting suicidal ideation, being aged over 30 years, and being male were associated with higher CMD symptom reduction.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this report is the first to pilot a PST intervention that is delivered by CHVs through a locally developed mobile application in Kenya, to which clinically meaningful improvements were found. However, a randomised-controlled trial is required to robustly evaluate this intervention.",
keywords = "Community health workers, sub-Saharan Africa, e-mental health, Friendship Bench, problem-solving therapy",
author = "Asmae Doukani and {van Dalen}, Robin and Hristo Valev and Annie Njenga and Francesco Sera and Dixon Chibanda",
year = "2021",
month = mar,
day = "31",
doi = "10.1017/gmh.2021.3",
language = "English",
volume = "8",
pages = "1--11",
journal = "Global Mental Health",
issn = "2054-4251",
publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - A community health volunteer delivered problem-solving therapy mobile application based on the Friendship Bench ‘Inuka Coaching’ in Kenya

T2 - A pilot cohort study

AU - Doukani, Asmae

AU - van Dalen, Robin

AU - Valev, Hristo

AU - Njenga, Annie

AU - Sera, Francesco

AU - Chibanda, Dixon

PY - 2021/3/31

Y1 - 2021/3/31

N2 - BackgroundSub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the largest care gap for common mental disorders (CMDs) globally, heralding the use of cost-cutting approaches such as task-shifting and digital technologies as viable approaches for expanding the mental health workforce. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a problem-solving therapy (PST) intervention that is delivered by community health volunteers (CHVs) through a mobile application called ‘Inuka coaching’ in Kenya.MethodsA pilot prospective cohort study recruited participants from 18 health centres in Kenya. People who self-screened were eligible if they scored 8 or higher on the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20), were aged 18 years or older, conversant in written and spoken English, and familiar with the use of smart mobile devices. The intervention consisted of four PST mobile application chat-sessions delivered by CHVs. CMD measures were administered at baseline, 4-weeks (post-treatment), and at 3-months follow-up assessment.ResultsIn all, 80 participants consented to the study, of which 60 participants (female, n = 38; male, n = 22) completed their 4-week assessments, and 52 participants completed their 3-month follow-up assessment. The results showed a significant improvement over time on the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20). Higher-range income, not reporting suicidal ideation, being aged over 30 years, and being male were associated with higher CMD symptom reduction.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this report is the first to pilot a PST intervention that is delivered by CHVs through a locally developed mobile application in Kenya, to which clinically meaningful improvements were found. However, a randomised-controlled trial is required to robustly evaluate this intervention.

AB - BackgroundSub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the largest care gap for common mental disorders (CMDs) globally, heralding the use of cost-cutting approaches such as task-shifting and digital technologies as viable approaches for expanding the mental health workforce. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a problem-solving therapy (PST) intervention that is delivered by community health volunteers (CHVs) through a mobile application called ‘Inuka coaching’ in Kenya.MethodsA pilot prospective cohort study recruited participants from 18 health centres in Kenya. People who self-screened were eligible if they scored 8 or higher on the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20), were aged 18 years or older, conversant in written and spoken English, and familiar with the use of smart mobile devices. The intervention consisted of four PST mobile application chat-sessions delivered by CHVs. CMD measures were administered at baseline, 4-weeks (post-treatment), and at 3-months follow-up assessment.ResultsIn all, 80 participants consented to the study, of which 60 participants (female, n = 38; male, n = 22) completed their 4-week assessments, and 52 participants completed their 3-month follow-up assessment. The results showed a significant improvement over time on the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20). Higher-range income, not reporting suicidal ideation, being aged over 30 years, and being male were associated with higher CMD symptom reduction.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this report is the first to pilot a PST intervention that is delivered by CHVs through a locally developed mobile application in Kenya, to which clinically meaningful improvements were found. However, a randomised-controlled trial is required to robustly evaluate this intervention.

KW - Community health workers

KW - sub-Saharan Africa

KW - e-mental health

KW - Friendship Bench

KW - problem-solving therapy

U2 - 10.1017/gmh.2021.3

DO - 10.1017/gmh.2021.3

M3 - Journal article

VL - 8

SP - 1

EP - 11

JO - Global Mental Health

JF - Global Mental Health

SN - 2054-4251

M1 - e9

ER -