The Shona Symptom Questionnaire: the development of an indigenous measure of common mental disorders in Harare

Rural Friendship Bench: A qualitative study in Zaka district, Zimbabwe

BACKGROUND

We piloted the Friendship Bench-an evidence-based, urban-area task sharing intervention for common mental disorders-in rural Zimbabwe. The intervention combines problem solving therapy with income generating activities. This study sought to understand the intervention's implementation in terms of acceptability, feasibility, and sustainability as well as local attitudes towards mental wellbeing in rural Zimbabwe.

METHODS

Using four separate semi-structured interview guides, we conducted in-depth interviews (N = 32) with patients (n = 9), village health workers (n = 12), nurses (n = 6), and community leaders (n = 5). We analyzed our data using thematic analysis with a diverse coding team using an integrative deductive-inductive approach.

RESULTS

Five themes emerged: 1) explanatory models for mental illness, 2) clinical workflow and emphasis on documentation, 3) positive feedback about the Friendship Bench, 4) accessibility, and 5) feasibility.

CONCLUSION

In its current format, our intervention was acceptable but neither feasible nor sustainable. Sociocultural context is critical in the development of rural task sharing interventions for mental health. We thus recommend a robust pilot and adaptation phase when scaling task sharing interventions in rural sub-Saharan Africa to elevate community voices, leverage existing social structures, and embed interventions as deeply into communities as possible.

The challenge of diagnosing cultural syndromes: A narrative review

BACKGROUND

In 2022 the total world migrant population was 281 million (an increase of approximately 62% compared to year 2000), of whom 169 million were migrant workers. The number of refugees, asylum seekers and others in need of international protection increased by 22% compared to 2021. Research has shown that the forcibly displaced have high rates of mental disorders (including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety), with an estimated prevalence almost 6 to 7 times higher than the general population. Given the increase of the overall migration phenomenon and the challenge raised by the cultural features concerning mental health, we consider that this is an area that requires close attention to ensure that culturally sensitive health services be available to the migrant and displaced population.

AIMS

The aim of this narrative review is to provide a background to the issue and take stock of what is currently available in the literature regarding culture-bound illnesses and the relevant diagnostic tools.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Psychinfo, Embase, Google Scholar, organized in stages to assure inclusion of all the relevant studies. Of the 703 papers initially identified, only 30 papers finally satisfied the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Eleven diagnostic scales were found, only two of which are being used for displaced people.

CONCLUSIONS

Further work is required in this field, including a debate as to whether scales are indeed an appropriate tool for use with this population.

Prevalence of hypertension and high-normal blood pressure among young adults in Zimbabwe: findings from a large, cross-sectional population-based survey

BACKGROUND

Hypertension is the greatest driver of cardiovascular mortality and onset might be in youth. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for elevated blood pressure (hypertension ≥140 mm Hg systolic, ≥90 mm Hg diastolic, or both) and high-normal blood pressure (130-139 mm Hg systolic, 85-89 mm Hg diastolic, or both) among youth in Zimbabwe.

METHODS

A population-based, cross-sectional survey of randomly sampled youth aged 18-24 years from 24 urban and peri-urban communities in three provinces (Harare, Bulawayo, and Mashonaland East) in Zimbabwe was conducted between Oct 4, 2021, and June 2, 2022. Standardised questionnaires were used by research assistants to collect sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical data. Height, bodyweight, and blood pressure were recorded. Three seated blood pressure measurements were taken at standardised timepoints during participant interview using a digital sphygmomanometer and cuffs sized on mid-upper arm circumference. The association of potential risk factors with elevated blood pressure was examined using multivariable logistic regression.

FINDINGS

17 682 (94·4%) of 18 729 eligible participants were recruited, 17 637 (99·7%) of whom had complete data, and 16 883 (95·7%) of whom were included in the final study sample after excluding 754 (4·3%) pregnant women. The median age was 20 years (IQR 19-22), 9973 (59·1%) participants were female, and 6910 (40·9%) were male. The prevalence of hypertension was 7·4% (95% CI 7·0-7·8) and high-normal blood pressure was 12·2% (11·7-12·7). Overall, prevalence of hypertension was higher in men (8·7% [95% CI 8·2-9·6]) than in women (6·6% [6·0-6·9]), but with age increased to similar levels (at age 18 years 7·3% [6·2-8·6] and 4·3% [3·5-5·2]; at age 23-24 years 10·9% [9·3-12·6] and 9·5% [8·4-10·7] in men and women, respectively). After adjusting for factors associated with hypertension in the crude analysis, hypertension was associated with male sex (adjusted odds ratio 1·53 [95% CI 1·36-1·74]), increasing age (age 19-20 years 1·20 [1·00-1·44]; age 21-22 years 1·45 [1·20-1·75]; age 23-24 years 1·90 [1·57-2·30], vs age 18 years), and BMI of 30·0 kg/m2 or more (1·94 [1·53-2·47] vs 18·5-24·9 kg/m2). A BMI of 18·5 kg/m2 or less (0·79 [0·63-0·98] vs 18·5-24·9 kg/m2) and living with HIV (0·71 [0·55-0·92]) were associated with lower odds of hypertension.

INTERPRETATION

Prevalence of elevated blood pressure is high among urban and peri-urban youth in Zimbabwe and increases rapidly with age. Further research is needed to understand drivers of blood pressure elevation and the extent of target organ damage in youth in Zimbabwe and similar sub-Saharan African settings, to guide implementation of prevention and management strategies.

FUNDING

Wellcome Trust.

Effect of a brief psychological intervention for common mental disorders on HIV viral suppression: A non-randomised controlled study of the Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe

BACKGROUND

For people living with co-morbid HIV and common mental disorders (CMD), it is not known whether a brief psychological intervention for CMD can improve HIV viral suppression.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study in eight primary care clinics in Harare, Zimbabwe, enrolling adults with co-morbid HIV and CMD. Six clinics provided the Friendship Bench (FB), a brief psychological intervention for CMD based on problem-solving therapy, delivered by lay counsellors. Two clinics provided enhanced usual care (EUC). The primary outcome was viral non-suppression after six months (viral load ≥400 copies/mL). Data were analysed using a difference-in-difference approach with linear regression of cluster-level proportions, adjusted for baseline viral non-suppression (aDiD). The secondary outcome was presence of CMD measured by the Shona Symptom Questionnaire.

RESULTS

In FB clinics, 407/500 (81.4%) participants had viral load results at baseline and endline: 58 (14.3%) had viral non-suppression at baseline and 41 (10.1%) at endline. In EUC clinics, 172/200 (86.0%) had viral load results at baseline and endline: 22 (12.8%) were non-suppressed at baseline and 26 (15.1%) at endline (aDiD = -7.3%; 95%CI 14.7% to -0.01%; p = 0.05). Of the 499 participants virally suppressed at baseline, the FB group had lower prevalence of non-suppression at endline compared to the EUC group (2.9% vs 9.3%; p = 0.002). There was no evidence of a difference in endline viral non-suppression by group among the 80 participants with non-suppression at baseline (53.5% vs 54.6%; p = 0.93). The FB group was less likely to screen positive for CMD at endline than the EUC group (aDiD = -21.6%; 95%CI -36.5% to -6.7%; p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION

People living with co-morbid HIV and CMD may benefit from receiving a low-cost mental health intervention to enhance viral suppression, especially if they are already virally suppressed. Research is needed to understand if additional adherence counselling could further improve viral suppression.

Evaluation of a comprehensive health check offered to frontline health workers in Zimbabwe

Health workers are essential for a functioning healthcare system, and their own health is often not addressed. During the COVID-19 pandemic health workers were at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection whilst coping with increased healthcare demand. Here we report the development, implementation, and uptake of an integrated health check combining SARS-CoV-2 testing with screening for other communicable and non-communicable diseases for health workers in Zimbabwe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health checks were offered to health workers in public and private health facilities from July 2020 to June 2022. Data on the number of health workers accessing the service and yield of screening was collected. Workshops and in-depth interviews were conducted to explore the perceptions and experiences of clients and service providers. 6598 health workers across 48 health facilities accessed the service. Among those reached, 5215 (79%) were women, the median age was 37 (IQR: 29-44) years and the largest proportion were nurses (n = 2092, 32%). 149 (2.3%) healthcare workers tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Uptake of screening services was almost 100% for all screened conditions except HIV. The most common conditions detected through screening were elevated blood pressure (n = 1249; 19%), elevated HbA1c (n = 428; 7.7%) and common mental disorder (n = 645; 9.8%). Process evaluation showed high acceptability of the service. Key enablers for health workers accessing the service included free and comprehensive service provision, and availability of reliable point-of-care screening methods. Implementation of a comprehensive health check for health workers was feasible, acceptable, and effective, even during a pandemic. Conventional occupational health programmes focus on infectious diseases. In a society where even health workers cannot afford health care, free comprehensive occupational health services may address unmet needs in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for chronic non-communicable conditions.

The impact of community-based integrated HIV and sexual and reproductive health services for youth on population-level HIV viral load and sexually transmitted infections in Zimbabwe: protocol for the CHIEDZA cluster-randomised trial

BACKGROUND

Youth have poorer HIV-related outcomes when compared to other age-groups. We describe the protocol for a cluster randomised trial (CRT) to evaluate the effectiveness of community-based, integrated HIV and sexual and reproductive health services for youth on HIV outcomes.

PROTOCOL

The CHIEDZA trial is being conducted in three provinces in Zimbabwe, each with eight geographically demarcated areas (clusters) (total 24 clusters) randomised 1:1 to standard of care (existing health services) or to the intervention. The intervention comprises community-based delivery of HIV services including testing, antiretroviral therapy, treatment monitoring and adherence support as well as family planning, syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), menstrual health management, condoms and HIV prevention and general health counselling. Youth aged 16-24 years living within intervention clusters are eligible to access CHIEDZA services. A CRT of STI screening (chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomoniasis) is nested in two provinces (16 of 24 clusters). The intervention is delivered over a 30-month period by a multidisciplinary team trained and configured to provide high-quality, youth friendly services.Outcomes will be ascertained through a population-based survey of 18-24-year-olds. The primary outcome is HIV viral load <1000 copies/ml in those living with HIV and proportion who test positive for STIs (for the nested trial). A detailed process and cost evaluation of the trial will be conducted.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The trial protocol was approved by the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe, the Biomedical Research and Training Institute Institutional Review Board and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Research Ethics Committee. Results will be submitted to open-access peer-reviewed journals, presented at academic meetings and shared with participating communities and with national and international policy-making bodies.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

https://clinicaltrials.gov/: NCT03719521.

The impact of community-based integrated HIV and sexual and reproductive health services for youth on population-level HIV viral load and sexually transmitted infections in Zimbabwe: protocol for the CHIEDZA cluster-randomised trial

Background

Youth have poorer HIV-related outcomes when compared to other age-groups. We describe the protocol for a cluster randomised trial (CRT) to evaluate the effectiveness of community-based, integrated HIV and sexual and reproductive health services for youth on HIV outcomes.

Protocol

The CHIEDZA trial is being conducted in three provinces in Zimbabwe, each with eight geographically demarcated areas (clusters) (total 24 clusters) randomised 1:1 to standard of care (existing health services) or to the intervention. The intervention comprises community-based delivery of HIV services including testing, antiretroviral therapy, treatment monitoring and adherence support as well as family planning, syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), menstrual health management, condoms and HIV prevention and general health counselling. Youth aged 16-24 years living within intervention clusters are eligible to access CHIEDZA services. A CRT of STI screening (chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomoniasis) is nested in two provinces (16 of 24 clusters). The intervention is delivered over a 30-month period by a multidisciplinary team trained and configured to provide high-quality, youth friendly services.Outcomes will be ascertained through a population-based survey of 18-24-year-olds. The primary outcome is HIV viral load <1000 copies/ml in those living with HIV and proportion who test positive for STIs (for the nested trial). A detailed process and cost evaluation of the trial will be conducted.

Ethics and Dissemination

The trial protocol was approved by the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe, the Biomedical Research and Training Institute Institutional Review Board and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Research Ethics Committee. Results will be submitted to open-access peer-reviewed journals, presented at academic meetings and shared with participating communities and with national and international policy-making bodies.

Trial Registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/: NCT03719521.

Religious and traditional beliefs and practices as predictors of mental and physical health outcomes and the role of religious affiliation in health outcomes and risk taking

BACKGROUND

While many studies from sub-Saharan countries, including Zimbabwe, allude to the important role of religion and tradition for young people living with HIV (YPLHIV), most of these studies tend to be descriptive and lack advanced statistical analysis. This study aims to close this gap.

METHODS

Data for this study was collected between July and October 2021 from 804 YPLHIV (aged 14-24) in Zimbabwe. The questionnaire included questions regarding participants' conceptions of HIV, their health seeking and risk-taking behaviour, current HIV viral load results, the prevalence of opportunistic infections, their mental health status, and demographic characteristics. The analysis was done using multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression.

RESULTS

We found that Traditional religious affiliation was linked to overall lower viral load (OR: 0.34; CI: 0.12-0.96; P: 0.042), Apostolic to more (OR: 1.52; CI: 1-2.3; P: 0.049) and Pentecostal to less (OR: 0.53; CI: 0.32-0.95; P: 0.033) treatment failure. Additionally, conceptions about HIV without spiritual or religious connotation, such as 'seeing HIV as result of a weak body' was associated with lower risk of treatment failure (OR: 0.6; CI: 0.4-1.0; P: 0.063), higher chances for undetectable viral load (OR: 1.4; CI: 1-2; P: 0.061), and overall lower viral load (OR: 0.7; CI: 0.5-1; P: 0.067). Moralizing concepts of HIV, like 'seeing HIV as a result of sin in the family', was linked to higher risk of opportunistic infections (OR:1.8; CI:1.1-3; P: 0.018), and higher risk of treatment failure (OR: 1.7; CI: 0.7-1.1; P: 0.066). Religious objections toward certain forms of therapy, like toward cervical cancer screening, was linked to higher risk of mental problems (OR: 2.2; CI: 1.35-3.68; P: 0.002) and higher risk of opportunistic infections (OR:1.6; CI:1.1-2.1; P: 0.008). Religious affiliations significantly influenced conceptions of HIV, health seeking behaviour, and risk taking.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this study is the first to provide evidence about the statistically significant associations between religious and traditional beliefs and practices and current health outcomes and health risk factors of YPLHIV in Zimbabwe. It is also the first to identify empirically the role of religious affiliations as predictors of current viral load results. This new knowledge can inform contextualized approaches to support YPLHIV in Zimbabwe.

Primary-level and community worker interventions for the prevention of mental disorders and the promotion of well-being in low- and middle-income countries

BACKGROUND

There is a significant research gap in the field of universal, selective, and indicated prevention interventions for mental health promotion and the prevention of mental disorders. Barriers to closing the research gap include scarcity of skilled human resources, large inequities in resource distribution and utilization, and stigma.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of delivery by primary workers of interventions for the promotion of mental health and universal prevention, and for the selective and indicated prevention of mental disorders or symptoms of mental illness in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To examine the impact of intervention delivery by primary workers on resource use and costs.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Global Index Medicus, PsycInfo, WHO ICTRP, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to 29 November 2021.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of primary-level and/or community health worker interventions for promoting mental health and/or preventing mental disorders versus any control conditions in adults and children in LMICs.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Standardized mean differences (SMD) or mean differences (MD) were used for continuous outcomes, and risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous data, using a random-effects model. We analyzed data at 0 to 1, 1 to 6, and 7 to 24 months post-intervention. For SMDs, 0.20 to 0.49 represented small, 0.50 to 0.79 moderate, and ≥ 0.80 large clinical effects. We evaluated the risk of bias (RoB) using Cochrane RoB2.

MAIN RESULTS

Description of studies We identified 113 studies with 32,992 participants (97 RCTs, 19,570 participants in meta-analyses) for inclusion. Nineteen RCTs were conducted in low-income countries, 27 in low-middle-income countries, 2 in middle-income countries, 58 in upper-middle-income countries and 7 in mixed settings. Eighty-three RCTs included adults and 30 RCTs included children. Cadres of primary-level workers employed primary care health workers (38 studies), community workers (71 studies), both (2 studies), and not reported (2 studies). Interventions were universal prevention/promotion in 22 studies, selective in 36, and indicated prevention in 55 RCTs. Risk of bias The most common concerns over risk of bias were performance bias, attrition bias, and reporting bias. Intervention effects 'Probably', 'may', or 'uncertain' indicates 'moderate-', 'low-', or 'very low-'certainty evidence. *Certainty of the evidence (using GRADE) was assessed at 0 to 1 month post-intervention as specified in the review protocol. In the abstract, we did not report results for outcomes for which evidence was missing or very uncertain. Adults Promotion/universal prevention, compared to usual care: - probably slightly reduced anxiety symptoms (MD -0.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.27 to -0.01; 1 trial, 158 participants) - may slightly reduce distress/PTSD symptoms (SMD -0.24, 95% CI -0.41 to -0.08; 4 trials, 722 participants) Selective prevention, compared to usual care: - probably slightly reduced depressive symptoms (SMD -0.69, 95% CI -1.08 to -0.30; 4 trials, 223 participants) Indicated prevention, compared to usual care: - may reduce adverse events (1 trial, 547 participants) - probably slightly reduced functional impairment (SMD -0.12, 95% CI -0.39 to -0.15; 4 trials, 663 participants) Children Promotion/universal prevention, compared to usual care: - may improve the quality of life (SMD -0.25, 95% CI -0.39 to -0.11; 2 trials, 803 participants) - may reduce adverse events (1 trial, 694 participants) - may slightly reduce depressive symptoms (MD -3.04, 95% CI -6 to -0.08; 1 trial, 160 participants) - may slightly reduce anxiety symptoms (MD -2.27, 95% CI -3.13 to -1.41; 1 trial, 183 participants) Selective prevention, compared to usual care: - probably slightly reduced depressive symptoms (SMD 0, 95% CI -0.16 to -0.15; 2 trials, 638 participants) - may slightly reduce anxiety symptoms (MD 4.50, 95% CI -12.05 to 21.05; 1 trial, 28 participants) - probably slightly reduced distress/PTSD symptoms (MD -2.14, 95% CI -3.77 to -0.51; 1 trial, 159 participants) Indicated prevention, compared to usual care: - decreased slightly functional impairment (SMD -0.29, 95% CI -0.47 to -0.10; 2 trials, 448 participants) - decreased slightly depressive symptoms (SMD -0.18, 95% CI -0.32 to -0.04; 4 trials, 771 participants) - may slightly reduce distress/PTSD symptoms (SMD 0.24, 95% CI -1.28 to 1.76; 2 trials, 448 participants).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The evidence indicated that prevention interventions delivered through primary workers - a form of task-shifting - may improve mental health outcomes. Certainty in the evidence was influenced by the risk of bias and by substantial levels of heterogeneity. A supportive network of infrastructure and research would enhance and reinforce this delivery modality across LMICs.

Neurocognitive outcomes of children exposed to and living with HIV aged 3-5 years in Kilifi, Kenya

Introduction

Globally, 1.7 million children are living with HIV, with the majority of them residing in sub-Saharan Africa. Due to reduced rates of vertical transmission of HIV, there is an increasing population of children born to HIV-infected mothers who remain uninfected. There is a growing concern around the development of these children in the antiretroviral therapy era. This study examined the neurocognitive outcomes of children who are HIV-exposed infected (CHEI), HIV-exposed uninfected (CHEU) and HIV-unexposed uninfected (CHUU) and explored the relationship between child neurocognitive outcomes and child's biomedical and caregivers' psychosocial factors.

Methods

CHEI, CHUU and CHEU aged 3-5 years and their caregivers were recruited into the study. Neurocognitive outcomes were assessed using a validated battery of assessments. One-way analysis of variance and covariance (ANOVA and ANCOVA) were used to evaluate differences among the three groups by neurocognitive outcomes. Linear regression models were used to investigate the association between child neurocognitive outcomes and biomedical factors (nutritional status, HIV disease staging) and caregivers' psychosocial factors [symptoms of common mental disorders (CMDs) and parenting behaviour].

Results

The study included 153 children and their caregivers: 43 (28.1%) CHEI, 52 (34.0%) CHEU and 58 (39.9%) CHUU. ANOVA and ANCOVA revealed a significant difference in cognitive ability mean scores across the child groups. Post hoc analysis indicated that CHEU children had higher cognitive ability mean scores than the CHUU group. Better nutritional status was significantly associated with higher cognitive ability scores (β = 0.68, 95% CI [0.18-1.18], p = 0.008). Higher scores of CMDs were negatively associated with inhibitory control (β = -0.28, 95% CI [-0.53 to 0.02], p = 0.036). While comparing HIV stages 2 and 3, large effect sizes were seen in working memory (0.96, CI [0.08-1.80]) and cognitive ability scores (0.83 CI [0.01-1.63]), indicating those in stage 3 had poor performance.

Conclusions

Neurocognitive outcomes were similar across CHEI, CHEU and CHUU, although subtle differences were seen in cognitive ability scores where CHEU had significantly higher cognitive mean scores than the CHUU. Well-designed longitudinal studies are needed to ascertain these findings. Nonetheless, study findings underscore the need for strategies to promote better child nutrition, mental health, and early antiretroviral therapy initiation.

Youth perspectives of working with near peer youth lay counsellors: The Safe Haven Pilot

Youth living with HIV (YLWH) have higher rates of common mental disorders (CMDs) when compared with HIV-negative youth. We adapted the Friendship Bench to create a problem solving-based counselling intervention in Botswana delivered by near peer youth lay counsellors for YLWH called Safe Haven. In August 2020, and from June to August 2021, we conducted 22 semistructured interviews with youth aged 13-25 years with mild-to-moderate symptoms of CMDs. Two independent coders carried out an inductive thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews with discrepancies discussed to consensus. Safe Haven was seen as largely acceptable among the youth. Youth felt Safe Haven was a place where they had freedom of expression and could receive practical advice from well-trained and approachable counsellors. Trained youth lay peer counsellors show promise to meet the mental health needs of mild and moderately symptomatic youth, where mental health professionals are in short supply.

Spiritual and religious aspects influence mental health and viral load: a quantitative study among young people living with HIV in Zimbabwe

INTRODUCTION

The role of religion and spirituality as social determinants of health has been widely discussed. Studies among people living with HIV describe positive and negative influences of religion and spirituality on health outcomes. With a HIV prevalence of 14.8% for females and 8.6% for males, and 22 000 AIDS-related deaths in 2020, HIV infection remains a life-threatening condition in Zimbabwe, especially in young people. The aim of this research was to measure the influence of religion and spirituality on the health outcomes of young people living with HIV in Zimbabwe.

METHODS

A quantitative questionnaire with three different validated measures of religion and spirituality (Belief into Action Scale, Brief Religious Coping Index, Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale), demographic, cultural, behavioural and health questions was administered to 804 young Zvandiri programme clients in rural, urban and peri-urban Zimbabwe between July and October 2021. Regression analysis established significant relations between the result of the three different measures and mental health and viral load results.

RESULTS

Religious coping significantly reduced the probability of common mental disorder, while high religious activity increased the risk. The Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale proved to be a reliable indicator of higher viral loads, risk for treatment failure and the probability of common mental disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

All three measures of religion and spirituality related to health outcomes. More research is needed to generalise and further explore these findings. Because the Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale was a strong indicator for both, higher viral loads and common mental disorder, we suggest that it should be used and validated in other sub-Saharan contexts. It could serve as a new diagnostic tool for the early detection and prevention of treatment failure as well as of common mental disorder.

Perceptions and experiences of prenatal mental health: A qualitative study among pregnant women in Ghana

Prenatal mental health problems can have adverse effects on the health and wellbeing of the mother as well as her baby. However, the factors associated with its etiology, expression, and coping mechanisms in Ghana remain understudied. This qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of prenatal mental health problems among 21 pregnant women in Accra through semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis led to three dominant themes; "conceptions of prenatal mental disorders" (sub-themes: awareness and constructions of prenatal mental health problems), "experiences of mental health problems" (sub-themes: symptoms of prenatal mental health problems and causal attributions of prenatal mental health problems) and "coping mechanisms of the pregnancy experience" (subthemes: faith, social support and work). The lack of knowledge of mental health disorders in this study and the expression of contextually relevant and culturally defined constructions and experiences of prenatal mental health problems, highlight the need for the development of culturally suitable interventions within the Ghanaian context.

Menopausal symptoms by HIV status and association with health-related quality of life among women in Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The scale-up of antiretroviral therapy programmes has resulted in increased life expectancy of people with HIV in Africa. Little is known of the menopausal experiences of African women, including those living with HIV. We aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of self-reported menopause symptoms in women at different stages of menopause transition, by HIV status, and evaluate how symptoms are related to health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We further sought to understand factors associated with menopause symptoms.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study recruited women resident in Harare, Zimbabwe, sampled by age group (40-44/45-49/50-54/55-60 years) and HIV status. Women recruited from public-sector HIV clinics identified two similarly aged female friends (irrespective of HIV status) with phone access. Socio-demographic and medical details were recorded and women staged as pre-, peri- or post-menopause. The Menopausal Rating Scale II (MRS), which classified symptom severity, was compared between those with and without HIV. Linear and logistic regression determined factors associated with menopause symptoms, and associations between symptoms and HRQoL.

RESULTS

The 378 women recruited (193[51.1%] with HIV), had a mean (SD) age of 49.3 (5.7) years; 173 (45.8%), 51 (13.5%) and 154 (40.7%) were pre-, peri and post-menopausal respectively. Women with HIV reported more moderate (24.9% vs. 18.1%) and severe (9.7% vs. 2.6%) menopause symptoms than women without HIV. Peri-menopausal women with HIV reported higher MRS scores than those pre- and post-menopausal, whereas in HIV negative women menopausal stage was not associated with MRS score (interaction p-value = 0.014). With increasing severity of menopause symptoms, lower mean HRQoL scores were observed. HIV (OR 2.02[95% CI 1.28, 3.21]), mood disorders (8.80[2.77, 28.0]), ≥ 2 falls/year (4.29[1.18, 15.6]), early menarche (2.33[1.22, 4.48]), alcohol consumption (2.16[1.01, 4.62]), food insecurity (1.93[1.14, 3.26]) and unemployment (1.56[0.99, 2.46]), were all associated with moderate/severe menopause symptoms. No woman reported use of menopausal hormone therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Menopausal symptoms are common and negatively impact HRQoL. HIV infection is associated with more severe menopause symptoms, as are several modifiable factors, including unemployment, alcohol consumption, and food insecurity. Findings highlight an unmet health need in ageing women in Zimbabwean, especially among those living with HIV.

Relationship between psychological distress, health behaviours and future reports of hypertension among adults in East Zimbabwe: a cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Extensive cross-sectional evidence has demonstrated an association between psychological distress (PD) and hypertension. However, evidence on the temporal relationship is limited, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. The role of health risk behaviours including smoking and alcohol consumption in this relationship is also largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between PD and later development of hypertension, and how this association may have been influenced by health risk behaviours, among adults in east Zimbabwe.

METHODS

The analysis included 742 adults (aged 15-54 years) recruited by the Manicaland general population cohort study, who did not have hypertension at baseline in 2012-2013, and who were followed until 2018-2019. In 2012-2013, PD was measured using the Shona Symptom Questionnaire, a screening tool validated for use in Shona-speaking countries including Zimbabwe (cut-off point: 7). Smoking, alcohol consumption and use of drugs (health risk behaviours) were also self-reported. In 2018-2019, participants reported if they had diagnosed with hypertension by a doctor or nurse. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between PD and hypertension.

RESULTS

In 2012, 10.4% of the participants had PD. The odds of new reports of hypertension were 2.04 times greater (95% CI 1.16 to 3.59) among those with PD at baseline, after adjusting for sociodemographic and health risk behaviour variables. Female gender (adjusted odds ratio, AOR 6.89, 95% CI 2.71 to 17.53), older age (AOR 2.67, 95% CI 1.63 to 4.42), and greater wealth (AOR 2.10, 95% CI 1.04 to 4.24 more wealthy, 2.88, 95% CI 1.24 to 6.67 most wealthy) were significant risk factors for hypertension. The AOR for the relationship between PD and hypertension did not differ substantially between models with and without health risk behaviours.

CONCLUSION

PD was associated with an increased risk of later reports of hypertension in the Manicaland cohort. Integrating mental health and hypertension services within primary healthcare may reduce the dual burden of these non-communicable diseases.

Why local concepts matter: Using cultural expressions of distress to explore the construct validity of research instruments to measure mental health problems among Congolese women in Nyarugusu refugee camp

There is considerable variation in the presentation of mental health problems across cultural contexts. Most screening and assessment tools do not capture local idioms and culturally specific presentations of distress, thus introducing measurement error and overlooking meaningful variation in mental health. Before applying screening and assessment tools in a particular context, a qualitative exploration of locally salient idioms and expression of distress can help assess whether existing measures are appropriate in a specific context as well as what adaptations may improve their construct validity. We aimed to employ a mixed-methods approach to describe and measure cultural concepts of distress among female Congolese survivors of intimate partner violence in Nyarugusu refugee camp, Tanzania. This sequential study used data from 55 qualitative (free-listing and in-depth) interviews followed by 311 quantitative interviews that included assessments of symptoms of common mental disorder to explore whether the symptom constellations were consistent across these methodologies. Results from thematic analysis of qualitative data and exploratory factor analysis of quantitative data converged on three concepts of distress: huzuni (deep sadness), msongo wa mawazo (stress, too many thoughts), and hofu (fear). The psychometric properties of these constructs were comparable to those of the three original common mental disorders measured by the quantitative symptom assessment tools-anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder-adding weight to the appropriateness of using these tools in this specific setting. This mixed-methods approach presents an innovative additional method for assessing the local "cultural fit" of globally used tools for measuring mental health in cross-cultural research.

Parenting in Adversity: Effects of Older Caregivers, Biological Carers and Troubled Carers on Child Outcomes in High HIV-Affected Communities

Caregiving by older adults is a common phenomenon, enhanced in the era of HIV infection. This longitudinal study was set up to examine the effect of caregiver age, relationship and mental wellbeing on child (4-13 years) outcomes (psychosocial and cognitive) in a sample of 808 caregiver- child dyads in South Africa and Malawi. Respondents were drawn from consecutive attenders at Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and interviewed with standardised inventories at baseline and followed up 12-15 months later. Analysis focused on three separate aspects of the caregiver; age, relationship to the child, and mental wellbeing, results are stratified with regard to these factors. Results showed that compared to younger caregivers, over 50 years were carrying a heavy load of childcare, but caregiver age for the most part was not associated with child outcomes. Being biologically related to the child (such as biological grandparenting) was also not a significant factor in child outcomes measured. However, irrespective of age and relationship, caregiver mental health was associated with differences in child outcome - those children of caregivers with a greater mental health burden were found to report experiencing more physical and psychologically violent discipline. Over time, the use of violent discipline was found to reduce. These data suggest that older caregivers and grandparents are providing comparable care to younger caregivers, for young children in the face of the HIV epidemic and that interventions should focus on mental health support for all caregivers, irrespective of age or relationship to the child.

Common mental health and emotional and behavioural disorders among adolescents and young adults in Harare and Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe: a population-based prevalence study

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the prevalence of common mental health disorders (CMDs) and emotional and behavioural disorders among young people and to explore the correlates of CMDs risk.

SETTING

Five urban and periurban communities in Harare and Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study PARTICIPANTS: Young people aged 13-24 years living in households in the study areas.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was the proportion of participants screening positive for probable CMDs defined as a Shona Symptoms Questionnaire (SSQ) score ≥8. Secondary outcomes were emotional and behavioural disorders measured using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and adjusted ORs for factors associated with CMD.

RESULTS

Out of 634 young people, 37.4% (95% CI 33.0% to 42.0%) screened positive for probable CMDs, 9.8% (95% CI 7.5% to 12.7%) reported perceptual symptoms and 11.2% (95% CI 9.0% to 13.8%) reported suicidal ideation. Using UK norms to define normal, borderline and abnormal scores for each of the SDQ domains, a high proportion (15.8%) of Zimbabwean young people had abnormal scores for emotional symptoms and a low proportion had abnormal scores for hyperactivity/inattention scores (2.8%) and prosocial scores (7.1%). We created local cut-offs for the emotional symptoms, hyperactivity/attention and prosocial SDQ domains. The odds of probable CMDs increased with each year of age (OR 1.09, p<0.001) and was higher among those who were out of school and not working compared with those in school or working (adj. OR 1.67 (1.07, 2.62), p=0.04). One in five participants (22.1%) were referred immediately for further clinical assessment but uptake of referral services was low.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed a high prevalence of symptoms of CMDs among general population urban and peri-urban young people especially among those with no employment. There is a need for more accessible and acceptable youth-friendly mental health services.

The HARDSHIP databases: a forthcoming free good from the Global Campaign against Headache

In order to pursue its purpose of reducing the global burden of headache, the Global Campaign against Headache has gathered data on headache-attributed burden from countries worldwide. These data, from the individual participants in adult population-based studies and child and adolescent schools-based studies, are being collated in two databases, which will be powerful resources for research and teaching and rich information sources for health policy.Here we briefly describe the structure and content of these databases, and announce the intention to make them available in due course as a free good.

Effect of the Friendship Bench intervention on antiretroviral therapy outcomes and mental health symptoms in rural Zimbabwe: A cluster randomized trial

Importance

Common mental disorders (CMD) are prevalent in people living with HIV and associated with suboptimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence.

Objective

To assess the effect of a lay health worker-led psychological intervention on adherence to ART, virologic suppression and mental health symptoms.

Design

Pragmatic cluster trial with block randomization of health facilities. Treatment assignment was known to participants, providers, evaluators, and data analysts. Recruitment started in October 2018 and the last follow-up visit was done in December 2020. Participants were followed up for 12 months.

Setting

Sixteen public health care facilities in Bikita, a rural district in Masvingo Province, about 300 km south of Harare.

Participants

Men and non-pregnant women aged 18 years or older who spoke English or Shona, screened positive for CMD (Shona Symptoms Questionnaire [SSQ]-14 score ≥9), had received first-line ART for at least six months, had no WHO clinical stage 4 disease, no psychotic symptoms, and gave informed consent.

Intervention

The Friendship Bench, a lay health worker-led intervention consisting of six weekly individual counselling sessions of problem-solving therapy and optional peer-led group support.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) mean adherence between 2-6 months of follow-up. Secondary outcomes included mean adherence between 1-12 months, change from baseline SSQ-14 and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) score at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months and change in viral load suppression (viral load <1000 copies per mL) at months 6 and 12.

Results

We recruited 516 participants, 244 in Friendship bench and 272 in standard care facilities. The mean age was 45.6 years (SD 10.9), and most participants were women (84.9%). In the Friendship Bench group, 88.1% of participants attended all six individual counselling sessions. Rates of adherence (>85%) and virologic suppression (>90%) were high in both groups. The intervention had no statistically significant effect on adherence or viral suppression. Declines in SSQ-14 scores from baseline to 3 months (-1.65, 95% CI -3.07 to -0.24), 6 months (-1.57, 95% CI -2.98 to -0.15), and 9 months (-1.63, 95% CI -3.05 to -0.22) were greater in the Friendship Bench than the standard care group (p<0.05). There were no differences in the decline in the SSQ-14 scores from baseline to 12 months and in declines in PHQ-9 scores from baseline to 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.

Conclusions and Relevance

The Friendship Bench intervention is a feasible and acceptable approach to closing the treatment gap in mental health care in rural Zimbabwe. The intervention improved CMD symptoms but the intervention effect was smaller than previously shown in an urban setting. The intervention had no effect on adherence and viral suppression, possibly due to the absence of skill-based adherence training and ceiling effect.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03704805.

Key points

Question: Does the Friendship Bench intervention improve antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, viral suppression and mental health symptoms in people living with HIV in rural Zimbabwe?Findings: In this cluster-randomized trial, participants in the intervention group had a significantly greater decrease in symptoms of common mental disorders than those in the control group, but the intervention showed no significant effect on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence or viral suppression.Meaning: The intervention did not affect adherence and viral suppression and the effect of the intervention on mental health symptoms was smaller than previously shown.

A validation of the religious and spiritual struggles scale among young people living with HIV in Zimbabwe: Mokken scale analysis and exploratory factor analysis

Introduction

Religious/spiritual convictions and practices can influence health- and treatment-seeking behavior, but only few measures of religiousness or spirituality have been validated and used outside of the US. The Religious and Spiritual Struggles scale (RSS) measures internal and external conflict with religion and spirituality and has been validated mainly in different high-income contexts. The aim of this study was the validation of the RSS in the Zimbabwean context and among young people living with human immunodeficiency virus (YPLHIV) aged 14-24.

Methods

Data collection with an Open Data Kit (ODK) questionnaire with 804 respondents took place in 2021. The validation was performed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), using statistical equation modeling (SEM), and Mokken scale analysis (MSA). After the low confirmability of the original scale sub-dimensions exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied.

Results

The EFA resulted in four new sub-domains that were different from the original six domains in the RSS but culturally more relevant. The new sub-domains are significantly related to health.

Discussion

The findings support the validity and relevance of the RSS and the new sub-domains in this context. As our study was limited to YPLHIV, further validation of the RSS among different population groups and contexts in the sub-Saharan region is encouraged.

HeAlth System StrEngThening in four sub-Saharan African countries (ASSET) to achieve high-quality, evidence-informed surgical, maternal and newborn, and primary care: protocol for pre-implementation phase studies

To achieve universal health coverage, health system strengthening (HSS) is required to support the of delivery of high-quality care. The aim of the National Institute for Health Research Global Research Unit on HeAlth System StrEngThening in Sub-Saharan Africa (ASSET) is to address this need in a four-year programme, with three healthcare platforms involving eight work-packages. Key to effective health system strengthening (HSS) is the pre-implementation phase of research where efforts focus on applying participatory methods to embed the research programme within the existing health system. To conceptualise the approach, we provide an overview of the key methods applied across work-package to address this important phase of research conducted between 2017 and 2021.Work-packages are being undertaken in publicly funded health systems in rural and urban areas in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Stakeholders including patients and their caregivers, community representatives, clinicians, managers, administrators, and policymakers are the main research participants.In each work-package, initial activities engage stakeholders and build relationships to ensure co-production and ownership of HSSIs. A mixed-methods approach is then applied to understand and address determinants of high-quality care delivery. Methods such as situation analysis, cross-sectional surveys, interviews and focus group discussions are adopted to each work-package aim and context. At the end of the pre-implementation phase, findings are disseminated using focus group discussions and participatory Theory of Change workshops where stakeholders from each work package use findings to select HSSIs and develop a programme theory.ASSET places a strong emphasis of the pre-implementation phase in order to provide an in-depth and systematic diagnosis of the existing heath system functioning, needs for strengthening and stakeholder engagement. This common approach will inform the design and evaluation of the HSSIs to increase effectiveness across work packages and contexts, to better understand what works, for whom, and how.

Scaling up community-delivered mental health support and care: A landscape analysis

Introduction

The mental health crisis has caused widespread suffering and has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Marginalized groups are especially affected, with many concerns rooted in social determinants of mental health. To stem this tide of suffering, consideration of approaches outside the traditional biomedical model will be necessary. Drawing from task-sharing models of mental health care that have been pioneered in low-resource settings, community-initiated care (CIC) represents a potentially promising collection of approaches. This landscape analysis seeks to identify examples of CIC that have been implemented outside of the research context, with the aim of identifying barriers and facilitators of scale up.

Methods

A narrative review approach was used for this landscape analysis in which the PubMed database was searched and further supplemented with Google Scholar. Promising programs were then discussed over multiple rounds of meetings with the research team, consisting of collaborators with varied experiences in mental health. Using the selection criteria and feedback derived from group meetings, a final list of programs was identified and summarized according to common characteristics and features.

Results

The initial PubMed search yielded 16 results, supplemented by review of the first 100 entries in Google Scholar. Through 5 follow-up meetings among team members, consensus was reached on a final list of 9 programs, which were grouped into three categories based on similar themes and topics: (1) approaches for the delivery of psychosocial interventions; (2) public health and integrative approaches to mental health; and (3) approaches for addressing youth mental health. Key facilitators to scale up included the importance of sustainable financing and human resources, addressing social determinants and stigma, engaging diverse stakeholders, leveraging existing health infrastructure, using sustainable training models, ensuring cultural relevance and appropriateness, and leveraging digital technologies.

Discussion

This landscape analysis, though not an exhaustive summary of the literature, describes promising examples of efforts to scale up CIC outside of the research context. Going forward, it will be necessary to mobilize stakeholders at the community, health system, and government levels to effectively promote CIC.

Using the RE-AIM framework to evaluate the implementation of scaling-up the Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe - a quantitative observational study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the real-world implementation of the Friendship Bench (FB) - an evidence-based brief psychological intervention delivered by community health workers (CHWs) - three years after its implementation in three city health departments in Zimbabwe. Implementation sites were evaluated according to their current performance using the RE-AIM framework making this one of the first evaluations of a scaled-up evidence-based psychological intervention in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

METHODS

Using the RE-AIM guide ( www.re-aim.org ), the authors designed quantitative indicators based on existing FB implementation data. Thirty-six primary health care clinics (PHC) in Harare (n=28), Chitungwiza (n=4) and Gweru (n=4) were included. Among these clinics 20 were large comprehensive health care centers, 7 medium (mostly maternal and child healthcare) and 9 small clinics (basic medical care and acting as referral clinic). Existing data from these clinics, added to additionally collected data through interviews and field observations were used to investigate and compare the performance of the FB across clinics. The focus was on the RE-AIM domains of Reach, Adoption, and Implementation.

RESULTS

Small clinics achieved 34% reach, compared to large (15%) and medium clinics (9%). Adoption was high in all clinic types, ranging from 59% to 71%. Small clinics led the implementation domain with 53%, followed by medium sized clinics 43% and large clinics 40%. Small clinics performed better in all indicators and differences in performance between small and large clinics were significant. Program activity and data quality depends on ongoing support for delivering agents and buy-in from health authorities.

CONCLUSION

The Friendship Bench program was implemented over three years transitioning from a research-based implementation program to one led locally. The Reach domain showed the largest gap across clinics where larger clinics performed poorly relative to smaller clinics and should be a target for future implementation improvements. Program data needs to be integrated into existing health information systems. Future studies should seek to optimize scale-up and sustainment strategies to maintain effective task-shared psychological interventions in SSA.

The importance of assessing and addressing mental health barriers to PrEP use during pregnancy and postpartum in sub-Saharan Africa: state of the science and research priorities

Introduction

Pregnant and postpartum women (PPW) in sub‐Saharan Africa are at disproportionately high risk of HIV infection compared to non‐pregnant women. When used consistently, pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can prevent HIV acquisition and transmission to the foetus or infant during these critical periods. Recent studies have demonstrated associations between mental health challenges (e.g. depression and traumatic stress associated with intimate partner violence) and decreased PrEP adherence and persistence, particularly among adolescents, younger women and women in the postpartum period. However, mental health is not currently a major focus of PrEP implementation research and programme planning for PPW.

Discussion

PrEP implementation programmes for PPW need to assess and address mental health barriers to consistent PrEP use to ensure effectiveness and sustainability in routine care. We highlight three key research priorities that will support PrEP adherence and persistence: (1) include mental health screening tools in PrEP implementation research with PPW, both to assess the feasibility of integrating these tools into routine antenatal and postpartum care and to ensure that limited resources are directed towards women whose symptoms may interfere most with PrEP use; (2) identify cross‐cutting, transdiagnostic psychological mechanisms that affect consistent PrEP use during these periods and can realistically be targeted with intervention in resource‐limited settings; and (3) develop/adapt and test interventions that target those underlying mechanisms, leveraging strategies from existing interventions that have successfully mitigated mental health barriers to antiretroviral therapy use among people with HIV.

Conclusions

For PPW, implementation of PrEP should be guided by a robust understanding of the unique psychological difficulties that may act as barriers to uptake, adherence and persistence (i.e. sustained adherence over time). We strongly encourage PrEP implementation research in PPW to incorporate validated mental health screening tools and ultimately treatment in routine antenatal and postnatal care, and we stress the potential public health benefits of identifying women who face mental health barriers to PrEP use.

Psychometric properties of two mental health screening tools in southeast Liberia: The Liberian Distress Screener and Patient Health Questionnaire

Evidence suggests that locally developed and/or adapted screening tools for mental ill-health can have higher validity than directly translated tools developed in other settings. We administered the locally developed Liberian Distress Screener (LDS) and the Liberian-adapted Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9L) to a random sample of 142 outpatients at a regional hospital in Maryland County, Liberia. In the LDS, seven items demonstrated poor model fit and were excluded, resulting in an 11-item screener (LDS-11). Exploratory factor analysis of the 11-item screener (LDS-11) showed a single latent variable construct with significant factor loadings. Cronbach's alpha revealed good internal consistency (α = 0.81). Rasch analyses showed that "brain hot" and "heart fall down" were the most difficult idioms of distress to endorse while "things playing on the mind" was the easiest. All LDS-11 elements were associated with elevated function impairment, with "things playing on the mind," "worry too much," "head is hurting," and "heart cut/beat fast" achieving statistical significance. One item in the PHQ-9L demonstrated poor model fit and was excluded from psychometric analyses. The resultant eight-item PHQ demonstrated internal consistency (α = 0.76) and Rasch analysis revealed that "moving/talking too slowly/fast" was the most difficult item to endorse, while "not happy when doing things" was the easiest. Twelve items were significantly associated with functional impairment. Exploratory analyses reveal items that demonstrate ease and appropriateness of use for assessing mental distress in this population. Implementation research is needed to incorporate idioms of distress and screeners into Liberia's mental healthcare system.

From surviving to thriving: integrating mental health care into HIV, community, and family services for adolescents living with HIV

Adolescents are a crucial generation, with the potential to bring future social and economic success for themselves and their countries. More than 90% of adolescents living with HIV reside in sub-Saharan Africa, where their mental health is set against a background of poverty, familial stress, service gaps, and an HIV epidemic that is now intertwined with the COVID-19 pandemic. In this Series paper, we review systematic reviews, randomised trials, and cohort studies of adolescents living with and affected by HIV. We provide a detailed overview of mental health provision and collate evidence for future approaches. We find that the mental health burden for adolescents living with HIV is high, contributing to low quality of life and challenges with adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Mental health provision is scarce, infrastructure and skilled providers are missing, and leadership is needed. Evidence of effective interventions is emerging, including specific provisions for mental health (eg, cognitive behavioural therapy, problem-solving, mindfulness, and parenting programmes) and broader provisions to prevent drivers of poor mental health (eg, social protection and violence prevention). We provide evidence of longitudinal associations between unconditional government grants and improved mental health. Combinations of economic and social interventions (known as cash plus care) could increase mental health benefits. Scalable delivery models include task sharing, primary care integration, strengthening families, and a pyramid of provision that differentiates between levels of need, from prevention to the care of severe disorders. A turning point has now been reached, from which complacency cannot persist. We conclude that there is substantial need, available frameworks, and a growing evidence base for action while infrastructure and skill acquisition is built.

Psychological distress among healthcare workers accessing occupational health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe

BACKGROUND

Healthcare workers (HCWs) have experienced anxiety and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. We established and report findings from an occupational health programme for HCWs in Zimbabwe that offered screening for SARS-CoV-2 with integrated screening for comorbidities including common mental disorder (CMD) and referral for counselling.

METHODS

Quantitative outcomes were fearfulness about COVID-19, the Shona Symptom Questionnaire (SSQ-14) score (cutpoint 8/14) and the number and proportion of HCWs offered referral for counselling, accepting referral and counselled. We used chi square tests to identify factors associated with fearfulness, and logistic regression was used to model the association of fearfulness with wave, adjusting for variables identified using a DAG. Qualitative data included 18 in-depth interviews, two workshops conducted with HCWs and written feedback from counsellors, analysed concurrently with data collection using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Between 27 July 2020-31 July 2021, spanning three SARS-CoV-2 waves, the occupational health programme was accessed by 3577 HCWs from 22 facilities. The median age was 37 (IQR 30-43) years, 81.9% were women, 41.7% said they felt fearful about COVID-19 and 12.1% had an SSQ-14 score ≥ 8. A total of 501 HCWs were offered referral for counselling, 78.4% accepted and 68.9% had ≥1 counselling session. Adjusting for setting and role, wave 2 was associated with increased fearfulness over wave 1 (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.00-1.60). Qualitative data showed high levels of anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms and burnout related to the pandemic. Mental wellbeing was affected by financial insecurity, unmet physical health needs and inability to provide quality care within a fragile health system.

CONCLUSIONS

HCWs in Zimbabwe experience a high burden of mental health symptoms, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainable mental health interventions must be multisectoral addressing mental, physical and financial wellbeing.

Brief Report: Adolescent Girls Who Sell Sex in Zimbabwe: HIV Risk, Behaviours, and Service Engagement

BACKGROUND

To reduce HIV incidence among adolescent girls who sell sex (AGSS) in Zimbabwe, we need to better understand how vulnerabilities intersect with HIV infection and how those living with HIV engage in care.

METHODS

In 2017, we conducted social mapping in 4 locations in Zimbabwe and recruited girls aged 16-19 years who sell sex, using respondent-driven sampling or census sampling methods. Participants completed a questionnaire and provided finger prick blood samples for HIV antibody testing.

RESULTS

Of 605 AGSS recruited, 74.4% considered themselves sex workers, 24.4% reported experiencing violence in the past year, 91.7% were not in school, and 83.8% had less than a complete secondary education. Prevalence of HIV increased steeply from 2.1% among those aged 16 years to 26.9% among those aged 19 years; overall, 20.2% of AGSS were HIV-positive. In the multivariate analysis, age, education, marital status, and violence from a client were associated with HIV. Among the 605 AGSS, 86.3% had ever tested for HIV, with 64.1% having tested in the past 6 months. Among AGSS living with HIV, half (50.8%) were aware of their status, among whom 83.9% reported taking antiretroviral therapy.

CONCLUSION

The steep rise in HIV prevalence among those aged between 16 and 19 years suggests the window to engage with AGSS before HIV acquisition is short. To accelerate reductions in incidence among AGSS, intensified combination prevention strategies that address structural factors and tailor services to the needs of AGSS are required, particularly ensuring girls enroll and remain in school.

Depression in Sub-Saharan Africa

Mood disorders can be considered among the most common and debilitating mental disorders. Major depression, as an example of mood disorders, is known to severely reduce the quality of life as well as psychosocial functioning of those affected. Its impact on the burden of disease worldwide has been enormous, with the World Health Organisation projecting depression to be the leading cause of mental illness by 2030. Despite several studies on the subject, little has been done to contextualise the condition in Africa, coupled with the fact that there is still much to be understood on the subject. This review attempts to shed more light on the prevalence of depression in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), its pathophysiology, risk factors, diagnosis and the experimental models available to study depression within the sub-region. It also evaluates the contribution of the sub-region to the global research output of depression as well as bottlenecks associated with full exploitation of the sub region's resources to manage the disorder.

Protocol: Mapping social networks, social influence and sexual health among youth in rural KwaZulu-Natal, the Sixhumene cohort study

Background: Sexual behaviour and sexually transmitted infections are strongly affected by social connections, and interventions are often adapted more readily when diffused through social networks. However, evidence on how young people acquire ideas and change behaviour through the influence of important social contacts is not well understood in high-HIV-prevalence settings, with the result that past peer-led HIV-prevention interventions have had limited success.

Methods: We therefore designed a cohort study (named Sixhumene or ‘we are connected’) to follow young people in three rural and small-town communities in uMkhanyakude district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and the people that these youth identify as important in their lives. We will interview them five times over three years, at each visit collecting information on their socioeconomic, social and sexual health lives, and testing them for HIV and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). We will use this information to understand how these young people’s sexual health decisions are formed. This will include evaluating how poor sexual health outcomes are correlated across social networks, how youth mimic the attitudes and behaviours of those around them, who is at greatest risk of acquiring HIV and HSV-2, and who might be most influential within communities and thus best able to promote protective interventions.

Discussion: The information gathered through this study will allow us to describe social connection and influence spread through these real-world social networks, and how this leads to sexual health outcomes. Sixhumene will provide vital inputs for mathematical models of communities and spreading processes, as well as inform the development of effective interventions to protect the sexual health of community members through appropriate targeting with optimised messaging requiring fewer resources.

Screening tools for common mental disorders in older adults in South Asia: a systematic scoping review

OBJECTIVES

Common mental disorders (CMDs), particularly depression, are major contributors to the global mental health burden. South Asia, while diverse, has cultural, social, and economic challenges, which are common across the region, not least an aging population. This creates an imperative to better understand how CMD affects older people in this context, which relies on valid and culturally appropriate screening and research tools. This review aims to scope the availability of CMD screening tools for older people in South Asia. As a secondary aim, this review will summarize the use of these tools in epidemiology, and the extent to which they have been validated or adapted for this population.

DESIGN

A scoping review was performed, following PRISMA guidelines. The search strategy was developed iteratively in Medline and translated to Embase, PsychInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science. Data were extracted from papers in which a tool was used to identify CMD in a South Asian older population (50+), including validation, adaptation, and use in epidemiology. Validation studies meeting the criteria were critically appraised using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies - version 2 (QUADAS-2) tool.

RESULTS

Of the 4694 papers identified, 176 met the selection criteria at full-text screening as relevant examples of diagnostic or screening tool use. There were 15 tool validation studies, which were critically appraised. Of these, 10 were appropriate to evaluate as diagnostic tests. All of these tools assessed for depression. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)-based tools were predominant with variable diagnostic accuracy across different settings. Methodological issues were substantial based on the QUADAS-2 criteria. In the epidemiological studies identified (n = 160), depression alone was assessed for 82% of the studies. Tools lacking cultural validation were commonly used (43%).

CONCLUSIONS

This review identifies a number of current research gaps including a need for culturally relevant validation studies, and attention to other CMDs such as anxiety.

Cultural adaptation of psychological interventions for people with mental disorders delivered by lay health workers in Africa: scoping review and expert consultation

BACKGROUND

Lay Health Workers (LHW) are important providers of community mental health services and help mitigate access and treatment gaps in Africa. However, there is a paucity of knowledge about the role and performance of these workers, as well as about the extent to which the interventions delivered are culturally adapted to the African context.

AIMS

This scoping review aimed to explore the content and aspects concerning the cultural adaptation and sustainability of psychological interventions delivered by LHW to people with mental disorders in Africa.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of the peer-reviewed literature published from January 2000 to December 2018 to identify psychological interventions delivered by LHW for people with mental disorders in Africa. We systematically searched PubMed, Google scholar and Hinari to select relevant publications. The articles were evaluated for risk of bias according to study design with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) Quality Assessment Tools. Expert consultation was performed according to Arksey & O'Malley framework and cultural adaptation analysis was performed according to Bernal framework.

RESULTS

Out of 14,549 retrieved records, we identified ten peer-reviewed articles conducted in Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa and Zambia describing four distinct interventions. Six were randomized controlled trials; none addressed implementation outcomes. Group-based interpersonal therapy (n = 5), trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy (n = 1), problem solving therapy (n = 3) and narrative exposure therapy (n = 1) emerged as psychological interventions delivered by LHW for people with depression, anxiety, trauma and suicidal behavior. Psychological interventions delivered by LHW in Africa were all culturally adapted to meet the competence of LHW. All the interventions were associated with symptom improvement, but the quality of this evidence varied widely with study design.

CONCLUSION

Task-shifting psychological interventions delivered by LHW after appropriate cultural adaptation show promise for addressing unmet mental health care needs in Africa. More effectiveness and implementation evidence is needed, especially with regard to psychological interventions delivered by LHW for adolescence, older people and those with severe mental disorders and suicidal behaviors.

Did you hear about HIV self-testing? HIV self-testing awareness after community-based HIVST distribution in rural Zimbabwe

BACKGROUND

Several trials of community-based HIV self-testing (HIVST) provide evidence on the acceptability and feasibility of campaign-style distribution to reach first-time testers, men and adolescents. However, we do not know how many remain unaware of HIVST after distribution campaigns, and who these individuals are. Here we look at factors associated with never having heard of HIVST after community-based campaign-style HIVST distribution in rural Zimbabwe between September 2016 and July 2017.

METHODS

Analysis of representative population-based trial survey data collected from 7146 individuals following community-based HIVST distribution to households was conducted. Factors associated with having never heard of HIVST were determined using multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression adjusted for clustered design.

RESULTS

Among survey participants, 1308 (18.3%) self-reported having never heard of HIVST. Individuals who were between 20 and 60 years old {20-29 years: [aOR = 0.74, 95% CI (0.58-0.95)], 30-39 years: [aOR = 0.56, 95% CI (0.42-0.74)], 40-49 years: [aOR = 0.50, 95% CI (0.36-0.68)], 50-59 years [aOR = 0.58, 95% CI (0.42-0.82)]}, who had attained at least ordinary level education [aOR = 0.51, 95% CI (0.34-0.76)], and who had an HIV test before [aOR = 0.30, 95% CI (0.25-0.37)] were less likely to have never heard of HIVST compared with individuals who were between 16 and 19 years old, who had a lower educational level and who had never tested for HIV before, respectively. In addition, non-household heads or household head representatives [aOR = 1.21, 95% CI (1.01-1.45)] were more likely to report never having heard of HIVST compared to household head and representatives.

CONCLUSIONS

Around one fifth of survey participants remain unaware of HIVST even after an intensive community-based door-to-door HIVST distribution. Of note, those least likely to have heard of self-testing were younger, less educated and less likely to have tested previously. Household heads appear to play an important role in granting or denying access to self-testing to other household members during door-to-door distribution. Differentiated distribution models are needed to ensure access to all. Trial registration PACTR, PACTR201607001701788. Registered 29 June 2016, https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/ PACTR201607001701788.

Peer-led counselling with problem discussion therapy for adolescents living with HIV in Zimbabwe: A cluster-randomised trial

BACKGROUND

Adolescents living with HIV have poor virological suppression and high prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs). In Zimbabwe, the Zvandiri adolescent peer support programme is effective at improving virological suppression. We assessed the effect of training Zvandiri peer counsellors known as Community Adolescent Treatment Supporters (CATS) in problem-solving therapy (PST) on virological suppression and mental health outcomes.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

Sixty clinics were randomised 1:1 to either normal Zvandiri peer counselling or a peer counsellor trained in PST. In January to March 2019, 842 adolescents aged 10 to 19 years and living with HIV who screened positive for CMDs were enrolled (375 (44.5%) male and 418 (49.6%) orphaned of at least one parent). The primary outcome was virological nonsuppression (viral load ≥1,000 copies/mL). Secondary outcomes were symptoms of CMDs measured with the Shona Symptom Questionnaire (SSQ ≥8) and depression measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9 ≥10) and health utility score using the EQ-5D. The adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression adjusting for clinic-level clustering. Case reviews and focus group discussions were used to determine feasibility of intervention delivery. At baseline, 35.1% of participants had virological nonsuppression and 70.3% had SSQ≥8. After 48 weeks, follow-up was 89.5% for viral load data and 90.9% for other outcomes. Virological nonsuppression decreased in both arms, but there was no evidence of an intervention effect (prevalence of nonsuppression 14.7% in the Zvandiri-PST arm versus 11.9% in the Zvandiri arm; AOR = 1.29; 95% CI 0.68, 2.48; p = 0.44). There was strong evidence of an apparent effect on common mental health outcomes (SSQ ≥8: 2.4% versus 10.3% [AOR = 0.19; 95% CI 0.08, 0.46; p < 0.001]; PHQ-9 ≥10: 2.9% versus 8.8% [AOR = 0.32; 95% CI 0.14, 0.78; p = 0.01]). Prevalence of EQ-5D index score <1 was 27.6% versus 38.9% (AOR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.31, 1.03; p = 0.06). Qualitative analyses found that CATS-observed participants had limited autonomy or ability to solve problems. In response, the CATS adapted the intervention to focus on empathic problem discussion to fit adolescents' age, capacity, and circumstances, which was beneficial. Limitations include that cost data were not available and that the mental health tools were validated in adult populations, not adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

PST training for CATS did not add to the benefit of peer support in reducing virological nonsuppression but led to improved symptoms of CMD and depression compared to standard Zvandiri care among adolescents living with HIV in Zimbabwe. Active involvement of caregivers and strengthened referral structures could increase feasibility and effectiveness.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Pan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR201810756862405.

"Thinking Too Much": A Systematic Review of the Idiom of Distress in Sub-Saharan Africa

Idioms of distress have been employed in psychological anthropology and global mental health to solicit localized understandings of suffering. The idiom "thinking too much" is employed in cultural settings worldwide to express feelings of emotional and cognitive disquiet with psychological, physical, and social consequences on people's well-being and daily functioning. This systematic review investigates how, where, and among whom the idiom "thinking too much" within varied Sub-Saharan African contexts was investigated. We reviewed eight databases and identified 60 articles, chapters, and books discussing "thinking too much" across Sub-Saharan Africa. Across 18 Sub-Saharan African countries, literature on "thinking too much" focused on particular sub-populations, including clinical populations, including people living with HIV or non-communicable diseases, and women experiencing perinatal or postnatal depression; health workers and caregivers; and non-clinical populations, including refugees and conflict-affected communities, as well as community samples with and without depression. "Thinking too much" reflected a broad range of personal, familial, and professional concerns that lead someone to be consumed with "too many thoughts." This research demonstrates that "thinking too much" is a useful idiom for understanding rumination and psychiatric distress while providing unique insights within cultural contexts that should not be overlooked when applied in clinical settings.

Comprehensive occupational health services for healthcare workers in Zimbabwe during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Healthcare workers are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In low- and middle- income countries, they may be particularly impacted by underfunded health systems, lack of personal protective equipment, challenging working conditions and barriers in accessing personal healthcare.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, occupational health screening was implemented at the largest public sector medical centre in Harare, Zimbabwe, during the "first wave" of the country's COVID-19 epidemic. Clients were voluntarily screened for symptoms of COVID-19, and if present, offered a SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection assay. In addition, measurement of height, weight, blood pressure and HbA1c, HIV and TB testing, and mental health screening using the Shona Symptom Questionnaire (SSQ-14) were offered. An interviewer-administered questionnaire ascertained client knowledge and experiences related to COVID-19.

RESULTS

Between 27th July and 30th October 2020, 951 healthcare workers accessed the service; 210 (22%) were tested for SARS-CoV-2, of whom 12 (5.7%) tested positive. Clients reported high levels of concern about COVID-19 which declined with time, and faced barriers including lack of resources for infection prevention and control. There was a high prevalence of largely undiagnosed non-communicable disease: 61% were overweight or obese, 34% had a blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or above, 10% had an HbA1c diagnostic of diabetes, and 7% had an SSQ-14 score consistent with a common mental disorder. Overall 8% were HIV-positive, with 97% previously diagnosed and on treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Cases of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers mirrored the national epidemic curve. Implementation of comprehensive occupational health services during a pandemic was feasible, and uptake was high. Other comorbidities were highly prevalent, which may be risk factors for severe COVID-19 but are also important independent causes of morbidity and mortality. Healthcare workers are critical to combatting COVID-19; it is essential to support their physical and psychological wellbeing during the pandemic and beyond.

Economic threshold analysis of delivering a task-sharing treatment for common mental disorders at scale: the Friendship Bench, Zimbabwe

Background

Task-sharing treatment approaches offer a pragmatic approach to treating common mental disorders in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Friendship Bench (FB), developed in Zimbabwe with increasing adoption in other LMICs, is one example of this type of treatment model using lay health workers (LHWs) to deliver treatment.

Objective

To consider the level of treatment coverage required for a recent scale-up of the FB in Zimbabwe to be considered cost-effective.

Methods

A modelling-based deterministic threshold analysis conducted within a ‘cost-utility’ framework using a recommended cost-effectiveness threshold.

Findings

The FB would need to treat an additional 3413 service users (10 per active LHW per year) for its scale-up to be considered cost-effective. This assumes a level of treatment effect observed under clinical trial conditions. The associated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $191 per year lived with disability avoided, assuming treatment coverage levels reported during 2020. The required treatment coverage for a cost-effective outcome is within the level of treatment coverage observed during 2020 and remained so even when assuming significantly compromised levels of treatment effect.

Conclusions

The economic case for a scaled-up delivery of the FB appears convincing in principle and its adoption at scale in LMIC settings should be given serious consideration.

Clinical implications

Further evidence on the types of scale-up strategies that are likely to offer an effective and cost-effective means of sustaining required levels of treatment coverage will help focus efforts on approaches to scale-up that optimise resources invested in task-sharing programmes.

The Experiences of Counsellors Offering Problem-Solving Therapy for Common Mental Health Issues at the Youth Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe

There is growing evidence that lay health workers providing counselling is a feasible approach of addressing the universally large treatment gap for mental disorders. This study illuminates the experiences of the counsellors in the Youth Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe, a pilot project where students provide problem-solving therapy to adolescents with common mental disorders. Twelve interviews were analysed using content analysis. The first theme "Working in a meaningful project" describes how the counsellors managed to create an alliance with the clients. The project was perceived as helpful, meaningful and urgent, and the counsellors' experienced a professional and individual development through the support of the Friendship Bench organization. The second theme "Encountering obstacles" illuminates how counsellors experienced situations where they failed to reach out to clients, felt unprepared and inadequate, and how they combated preconceptions and taboos. In the third theme, "Carrying an emotional burden," the counsellors described experiences of recognising own problems and empathising with the client.

How Can We Support the Use of Oral PrEP Among Young Women who Sell Sex? A PrEP Cascade Analysis

BACKGROUND

We constructed self-reported pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) cascades and explored factors associated with and barriers to PrEP use to inform efforts to support PrEP use among young women who sell sex.

METHODS

Using self-reported data from HIV-negative young women who sell sex enrolled into a cohort study using respondent-driven sampling in Zimbabwe, we constructed PrEP cascades assessing knowledge of, ever offered, ever used, and current PrEP use in 2017 and 2019. We used logistic regression to examine factors associated with PrEP use by 2019. Through qualitative interviews with 43 women enrolled in the cohort, we investigated barriers to PrEP use.

RESULTS

At enrollment, 50% of women had heard of PrEP, 12% had ever been offered PrEP, and 7% ever used PrEP. Over time, all cascade domains: 96% of women had heard of and 55% reported an active offer of PrEP. Among women retained in the study in 2019 (56%; n = 538), 34% ever took PrEP by 2019. PrEP use was associated with, at enrollment, reporting more clients in the past month (10+: 45% vs 1-3: 27% adjOR = 1.71 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.76), duration of selling sex (24% <2 years vs 38% 2-3 years; adjOR = 0.51 95% CI: 0.32 to 0.83), and having visited a female sex worker program in the past 12 months (55% vs 27%; adjOR = 2.92 95% CI: 1.91 to 4.46). Qualitative interviews revealed fear of disclosing sex work, HIV-related/ART-related stigma, and (opportunity) costs of accessing PrEP as barriers to use.

CONCLUSION

PrEP use was associated with factors known to increase HIV risk. Fear of stigma, disclosure, and supply-side barriers need to be addressed to increase women's ability to use PrEP.

Symptoms of common mental disorders and adherence to antiretroviral therapy among adults living with HIV in rural Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To examine the proportion of people living with HIV who screen positive for common mental disorders (CMD) and the associations between CMD and self-reported adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART).

SETTING

Sixteen government-funded health facilities in the rural Bikita district of Zimbabwe.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS

HIV-positive non-pregnant adults, aged 18 years or older, who lived in Bikita district and had received ART for at least 6 months.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was the proportion of participants screening positive for CMD defined as a Shona Symptoms Questionnaire score of 9 or greater. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of participants reporting suicidal ideation, perceptual symptoms and suboptimal ART adherence and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for factors associated with CMD, suicidal ideation, perceptual symptoms and suboptimal ART adherence.

RESULTS

Out of 3480 adults, 18.8% (95% CI 14.8% to 23.7%) screened positive for CMD, 2.7% (95% CI 1.5% to 4.7%) reported suicidal ideations, and 1.5% (95% CI 0.9% to 2.6%) reported perceptual symptoms. Positive CMD screens were more common in women (aPR 1.67, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.35) than in men and were more common in adults aged 40-49 years (aPR 1.47, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.85) or aged 50-59 years (aPR 1.51, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.17) than in those 60 years or older. Positive CMD screen was associated with suboptimal adherence (aPR 1.53; 95% CI 1.37 to 1.70).

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial proportion of people living with HIV in rural Zimbabwe are affected by CMD. There is a need to integrate mental health services and HIV programmes in rural Zimbabwe.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03704805.

A multi-level examination of nursing students' resilience in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak: A cross-sectional design

Aims

To examine nursing students' stress and coping with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic through an ecological model of resilience. Specifically, to examine the relative contribution of different resilience levels in decreasing nursing students' strain symptoms: at the individual level, resilience trait; at the relational level, students' coping strategies; at the university level, nursing students' perceptions on their university's readiness to handle the virus outbreak; and at the national level, nursing students' trust in policymakers' decisions.

Design

The study used a cross‐sectional design.

Methods

Undergraduate students of five universities were recruited via an electronic link sent to their emails during the first months of the COVID‐19 outbreak: May–July 2020. Of them, 492 participants completed the research questionnaire.

Results

Hierarchical Regression Analysis revealed that nursing students' resilience, as a multi‐level factor, decreased the students' level of strain symptoms above and beyond their stress levels and control variables. Specifically, the nursing students' trait resilience, perceptions of their university's positive response to the pandemic and trust in their national policymakers were negatively associated with their strain symptoms. Conversely, disengagement‐in‐emotion coping strategies was positively associated with the students' strain symptoms.

Conclusions

Nursing students' resilience should be seen as a flexible resource that can be developed and influenced by their academic and clinical training, and by the intentions and actions of their university and the nursing administration at the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Impact

The findings call for the nursing administration at the MOH and for the university deans and department heads to prepare in advance a crisis plan that could be rapidly and effectively implemented when needed. Furthermore, topics such as developing flexible coping strategies should be integrated into the nursing curricula. These would allow students to prepare and cope better with adversity in their routine and in times of crisis.

Understanding Mental Health in the Context of Adolescent Pregnancy and HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review Identifying a Critical Evidence Gap

Adolescent (10-19 years) mental health remains an overlooked global health issue. Rates of adolescent pregnancy within sub-Saharan Africa are some of the highest in the world and occur at the epicentre of the global HIV epidemic. Both experiencing adolescent pregnancy and living with HIV have been found to be associated with adverse mental health outcomes, when investigated separately. Poor mental health may have implications for both parent and child. The literature regarding mental health within groups experiencing both HIV and adolescent pregnancy is yet to be summarised. This systematic review sought to identify (1) the prevalence/occurrence of common mental disorder amongst adolescents who are living with HIV and have experienced pregnancy, (inclusive of adolescent fathers) in sub-Saharan Africa (2) risk and protective factors for common mental disorder among this group, and (3) interventions (prevention/treatment) for common mental disorder among this group. A systematic search of electronic databases using pre-defined search terms, supplemented by hand-searching, was undertaken in September 2020. One author and an independent researcher completed a title and abstract screening of results from the search. A full-text search of all seemingly relevant manuscripts (both quantitative and qualitative) was undertaken and data extracted using pre-determined criteria. A narrative synthesis of included studies is provided. Quality and risk of bias within included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. A systematic keyword search of databases and follow-up hand searching identified 2287 unique records. Of these, thirty-eight full-text quantitative records and seven full-text qualitative records were assessed for eligibility. No qualitative records met the eligibility criteria for inclusion within the review. One quantitative record was identified for inclusion. This study reported on depressive symptomology amongst 14 pregnant adolescents living with HIV in Kenya, identifying a prevalence of 92.9%. This included study did not meet the high methodological quality of this review. No studies were identified reporting on risk and protective factors for common mental disorder, and no studies were found identifying any specific interventions for common mental disorder for this group, either for prevention or for treatment. The limited data identified within this review provides no good quality evidence relating to the prevalence of common mental disorder among adolescents living with HIV who have experienced pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa. No data was available relating to risk and protective factors or interventions for psychological distress amongst this group. This systematic review identifies a need for rigorous evidence regarding the mental health of pregnant and parenting adolescents living with HIV, and calls for granular interrogation of existing data to further our understanding of the needs of this group. The absence of research on this topic (both quantitative and qualitative) is a critical evidence gap, limiting evidence-based policy and programming responses, as well as regional development opportunities.

Community-based HIV self-testing: a cluster-randomised trial of supply-side financial incentives and time-trend analysis of linkage to antiretroviral therapy in Zimbabwe

BACKGROUND

HIV self-testing (HIVST) requires linkage to post-test services to maximise its benefits. We evaluated effect of supply-side incentivisation on linkage following community-based HIVST and evaluated time-trends in facility-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiations.

METHODS

From August 2016 to August 2017 community-based distributors (CBDs) in 38 rural Zimbabwean communities distributed HIVST door-to-door in 19-25 day campaigns. Communities were allocated (1:1) using constrained randomisation to either one-off US$50 remuneration per CBD (non-incentive arm), or US$50 plus US$0.20 incentive per client visiting mobile-outreach services (conditional-incentive arm). The primary outcome, assessed by population survey 6 weeks later, was self-reported uptake of any clinic service, analysed with random-effects logistic regression. Separately, non-randomised difference-in-differences in monthly ART initiations were analysed for three time periods (6 months baseline; HIVST campaign; 3 months after) at public clinics with (40 clinics) and without (124 clinics) HIVST distribution in catchment area.

FINDINGS

A total of 445 conditional-incentive CBDs distributed 39 205 HIVST kits (mean/CBD: 88; 95% CI: 85 to 92) and 447 non-incentive CBDs distributed 41 173 kits (mean/CBD: 93; 95% CI: 89 to 96). Survey participation was 7146/8566 (83.4%), with 3593 (50.3%) reporting self-testing including 1305 (18.3%) previously untested individuals. Use of clinic services post-HIVST was similar in conditional-incentive (1062/3698, 28.7%) and non-incentive (1075/3448, 31.2%) arms (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 0.94, 95% CI: 0.86 to 1.03). Confirmatory testing by newly diagnosed/untreated HIVST+clients was, however, higher (conditional-incentive: 25/33, 75.8% vs non-incentive: 20/40, 50.0%: aRR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.05 to 2.39). In total, 12 808 ART initiations occurred, with no baseline or postcampaign differences between initiation rates in HIVST versus non-HIVST clinics, but initiation rates increased from 7.31 to 9.59 initiations per month in HIVST clinics during distribution, aRR: 1.27, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.39.

CONCLUSIONS

Community-based HIVST campaigns achieved high testing uptake, temporally associated with increased demand for ART. Small supply-side incentives did not affect general clinic usage but may have increased confirmatory testing for newly diagnosed HIVST positive participants.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

PACTR201607001701788.

Comparison of community-led distribution of HIV self-tests kits with distribution by paid distributors: a cluster randomised trial in rural Zimbabwean communities

BACKGROUND

We compared community-led versus an established community-based HIV self-testing (HIVST) model in rural Zimbabwe using a cluster-randomised trial.

METHODS

Forty village groups were randomised 1:1 using restricted randomisation to community-led HIVST, where communities planned and implemented HIVST distribution for 4 weeks, or paid distribution (PD), where distributors were paid US$50 to distribute kits door-to-door over 4 weeks. Individual level primary outcomes compared household survey responses by arm 4 months post-intervention for: (1) newly diagnosed HIV during/within 4 months following HIVST distribution, (2) linkage to confirmatory testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis or voluntary medical male circumcision during/within 4 months following HIVST distribution. Participants were not masked to allocation; analysis used masked data. Trial analysis used random-effects logistic regression.Distribution costs compared: (1) community-led HIVST, (2) PD HIVST and (3) PD costs when first implemented in 2016/2017.

RESULTS

From October 2018 to August 2019, 27 812 and 36 699 HIVST kits were distributed in community-led and PD communities, respectively. We surveyed 11 150 participants and 5683 were in community-led arm. New HIV diagnosis was reported by 211 (3.7%) community-led versus 197 (3.6%) PD arm participants, adjusted OR (aOR) 1.1 (95% CI 0.72 to 1.56); 318 (25.9%) community-led arm participants linked to post-test services versus 361 (23.9%) in PD arm, aOR 1.1 (95% CI 0.75 to 1.49.Cost per HIVST kit distributed was US$6.29 and US$10.25 for PD and community-led HIVST, both lower than 2016/2017 costs for newly implemented PD (US$14.52). No social harms were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Community-led HIVST can perform as well as paid distribution, with lower costs in the first year. These costs may reduce with programme maturity/learning.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

PACTR201811849455568.

Impact of Friendship Bench problem-solving therapy on adherence to ART in young people living with HIV in Zimbabwe: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Adolescents and young people globally are highly vulnerable to poor mental health especially depression, and they account for 36% of new HIV infections in Eastern and Southern Africa. HIV services remain inadequate for this population and their adherence to ART is low. The Friendship Bench (FB), an evidence-based model developed in Zimbabwe to bridge the mental health gap, is a brief psychological intervention delivered on benches in primary care facilities by lay health workers ("grandmothers") trained in problem-solving therapy. This study explored the experience of young people living with HIV attending FB, and their perception of how problem-solving therapy impacted their adherence to ART.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted in July 2019 with 10 young people living with HIV aged 18-24 years, who had recently completed FB counselling in Harare. Participants were purposively sampled and recruited from three primary care facilities. Interviews were conducted in Shona, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Transcripts were analysed in NVivo12 using inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Study findings revealed a clear emotional denial towards HIV, particularly for young people infected perinatally, and a resulting low adherence to ART. The study also unpacked the issues of internal stigma and how young people living with perinatally acquired HIV are informed of their HIV status. Participants reported that FB had a critical role in helping them accept their HIV status. Grandmothers' empathic attitude was key during counselling on adherence to ART, to demystify the disease and treatment, normalize the reality of living with HIV, encourage young people to socialize with peers and free them of guilt. Interviewees unanimously reported improved ART adherence following FB counselling, and many described enhanced health and wellbeing.

CONCLUSION

Participants saw FB as a strong contributor to their general well-being, evident in decreased symptoms of depression and improved adherence to ART. FB problem-solving therapy should be rolled out to further support young people after post-test counselling or HIV serostatus disclosure for perinatally acquired HIV, for acceptance of HIV status and adherence to ART.

Common mental disorders and HIV status in the context of DREAMS among adolescent girls and young women in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

BACKGROUND

HIV affects many adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa. Given the bi-directional HIV and mental health relationship, mental health services may help prevent and treat HIV in this population. We therefore examined the association between common mental disorders (CMD) and HIV-related behaviours and service utilisation, in the context of implementation of the combination DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) HIV prevention programme in rural uMkhanyakude district, KwaZulu-Natal. DREAMS involved delivering a package of multiple interventions in a single area to address multiple sources of HIV risk for AGYW.

METHODS

We analysed baseline data from an age-stratified, representative cohort of 13-22 year-old AGYW. We measured DREAMS uptake as a count of the number of individual-level or community-based interventions each participant received in the last 12 months. CMD was measured using the validated Shona Symptom Questionnaire, with a cut off score ≥ 9 indicating probable CMD. HIV status was ascertained through home-based serotesting. We used logistic regression to estimate the association between CMD and HIV status adjusting for socio-demographics and behaviours.

RESULTS

Probable CMD prevalence among the 2184 respondents was 22.2%, increasing steadily from 10.1% among 13 year-old girls to 33.1% among 22 year-old women. AGYW were more likely to report probable CMD if they tested positive for HIV (odds ratio vs. test negative: 1.88, 95% confidence interval: 1.40-2.53). After adjusting for socio-demographics and behaviours, there was evidence that probable CMD was more prevalent among respondents who reported using multiple healthcare-related DREAMS interventions.

CONCLUSION

We found high prevalence of probable CMD among AGYW in rural South Africa, but it was only associated with HIV serostatus when not controlling for HIV acquisition risk factors. Our findings highlight that improving mental health service access for AGYW at high risk for HIV acquisition might protect them. Interventions already reaching AGYW with CMD, such as DREAMS, can be used to deliver mental health services to reduce both CMD and HIV risks. There is a need to integrate mental health education into existing HIV prevention programmes in school and communities.