Pre-and-post Study With a Nested Randomized Trial of Digital Training to Teach Problem-solving Counselling in India

Summary

This study is part of a Wellcome Trust-funded research program in India called PRIDE (PRemIum for aDolEscents, 2016-2022) led by Principal Investigator Prof. Vikram Patel (Harvard Medical School). The goal of PRIDE is to establish a suite of scalable psychosocial interventions for common adolescent mental health problems in India.

Following on from earlier studies to develop and evaluate the various PRIDE interventions in school settings, the current study aims to generate evidence on methods to support implementation. We will undertake a pre-and-post study design with a nested randomized controlled trial with the specific aims to:

1. Evaluate the effects of digital training on non-specialists' competency to deliver an evidence-based problem-solving intervention for common adolescent mental health problems
2. Evaluate the incremental effect of digital training with coaching (DT-C) in comparison with self-guided digital training (DT) on non-specialists' competency to deliver an evidence-based problem-solving intervention for common adolescent mental health problems
3. Evaluate the processes affecting the implementation of training interventions in both arms

Conditions

• Depression, Anxiety

Interventions

OTHER

Digital Training with Coaching (DT-C)

An identical digital training course and helpline will be available for the participants in this group. In addition to receiving the same digital training resources as the DT group, participants in DT-C will receive weekly individualized telephone calls from a coach who will motivate them and troubleshoot towards course completion. The focus will be on clarifying learning objectives and redirecting participants to relevant materials rather than providing new learning opportunities. Participants will also be able to send text messages to coaches with queries related to course content, progress and technical difficulties. Coaches will reply to participants' messages within one working day and send reminders about upcoming telephone sessions, as well as prompts if the participant has not logged into the course for 3 consecutive days.

OTHER

Self-Guided Digital Training

Participants will be enrolled in a digital training course that addresses non-specific counselling skills and skills specific to an evidence-based problem-solving intervention. The course will be available offline and online on a smartphone app (called 'Sangath Training') as well as a website (https://training.sangath.in/login/index.php) that can be accessed through an internet-enabled device. The training will be delivered through didactic lectures, role-play demonstrations, and recommended readings spread across 16 modules. Participants will be provided with automated feedback on their learning through self-assessment quizzes after each module. Modules will be available sequentially and unlocked after accessing all content in the preceding module, over a period of 4 weeks. Technical helpline: Participants will also have an option to message a centralized helpline for assistance with accessing and navigating the digital interface.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)

  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)

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-04-06

Primary Completion

2022-08-16

Completion

2022-08-16

Countries

• India

Study Locations