PRIDE - Pilot Trial of an Online Digital Problem-solving Intervention for School-going Adolescents in Goa, India

Summary

This study is part of a Wellcome Trust-funded research programme in India called PRIDE (PRemIum for aDolEscents, 2016-2022) led by Principal Investigator Prof. Vikram Patel (Harvard Medical School). The programme aims to develop and evaluate a trans-diagnostic, stepped-care intervention targeting common mental health problems in school-going adolescents in India.

The study is planned in the context of school closures and other COVID-19 mitigation strategies in India. We will undertake a pilot randomized controlled trial with the specific aims to

* assess the acceptability and feasibility of an online problem-solving intervention
* obtain effect size estimates for the online problem-solving intervention when compared to a usual care control condition
* assess process variables related to intervention and research procedures and thereby assist with planning for a future large-scale trial.

Conditions

• Mental Health Issue
• Depression, Anxiety
• Stress

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

POD Adventures

Participants in the intervention arm will receive information about local services/national helplines and a brief problem-solving intervention that is delivered through a smartphone app with telephone guidance from a lay counsellor. The intervention is grounded in stress-coping theory, with a technical focus on practical problem solving. The emphasis on problem solving reflects the primacy of psychosocial stressors in adolescent help-seeking. Moreover, problem-solving is among the most commonly used practice elements in evidence-based psychological interventions for children and adolescents globally. The content of the app comprises two sections: 'Adventures' which teaches problem-solving concepts and methods through contextually-appropriate games; and 'My POD' which scaffolds the student through the application of step-by-step problem-solving procedures to their own prioritized problems.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Sussex

  collaborator OTHER

• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

  collaborator OTHER

• Sangath

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Vikram Patel, PhD · Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)

• Daniel Michelson, PhD · University of Sussex

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

13 Years

Max Age

19 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-01-28

Primary Completion

2021-05-31

Completion

2021-05-31

Countries

• India