Mpata Yathu Trial for Young Women in Zambia

Summary

This study aims to improve mental health and HIV-related outcomes among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Zambia who have experienced gender-based violence (GBV). GBV includes physical, sexual, or emotional violence from partners or others and is known to increase the risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and HIV infection. In Zambia, access to mental health services is limited, especially for young women in low-resource communities. This study tests a counseling program called Mpata Yathu, which means "Our Space" in Chinyanja, designed to provide psychological support and improve well-being for young women who have faced violence and may be living with or at risk for HIV.

Mpata Yathu is a culturally adapted version of the Friendship Bench, a lay counselor-delivered mental health intervention originally developed in Zimbabwe. In this adapted version, trained community lay counselors will deliver six individual problem-solving therapy (PST) sessions over a three-month period. Sessions will be delivered in private spaces within local Catholic churches in the Matero and Chawama areas of Lusaka, Zambia. Counseling sessions will also include referral options for participants who may need further support related to HIV care, GBV, or mental health concerns.

The study is a two-arm randomized controlled trial. Participants will be randomly assigned to either:

1. Immediate Intervention Group - Receives the Mpata Yathu intervention between baseline and 3-month follow-up
2. Waitlist Control Group - Receives usual care for the first 3 months and then receives the Mpata Yathu intervention between 3- and 6-month follow-up

A total of 180 young women (90 per group) will participate in the trial. To be eligible, participants must be between the ages of 15 and 24, reside in the Matero or Chawama area, report lifetime GBV exposure, and show moderate depressive symptoms or symptoms of common mental disorders (CMDs). They must also be living with HIV or report behaviors that place them at risk for HIV.

The primary outcome is symptoms of CMDs, assessed using the Shona Symptom Questionnaire (SSQ-14). Secondary outcomes include depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, as well as HIV-related outcomes such as clinic attendance, antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, and prevention behaviors such as condom use or PrEP readiness. The study will also measure feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of the intervention.

Data will be collected through surveys at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. The research team will also monitor how the intervention is implemented, how participants respond to counseling, and whether counselors follow the therapy protocol. Participants will receive a small stipend for their time and transport at each counseling session and follow-up visit.

This study is designed to test whether a trauma-informed, church-based mental health intervention can improve psychological well-being and HIV engagement among young women who are often underserved in traditional healthcare systems. If successful, this model could be expanded to other churches or schools in Zambia and similar settings. The results will inform future large-scale evaluations and could help shape new strategies for addressing GBV, mental health, and HIV among youth in sub-Saharan Africa.

Conditions

• HIV
• Common Mental Health Problems
• PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Depression Disorder
• Anxiety

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Mpata Yathu ("Our Space")

Mpata Yathu is a church-based, lay counselor-delivered psychological intervention adapted from the Friendship Bench problem-solving therapy (PST) model. Designed for adolescent girls and young women in Zambia with a history of gender-based violence and elevated mental health symptoms, the intervention includes six weekly individual PST sessions delivered in private spaces within Catholic churches. Lay counselors are trained in trauma-informed, survivor-centered care and offer optional referrals to mental health, HIV, or GBV-related services. Mpata Yathu maintains the core structure of Friendship Bench but was adapted through community-partnered participatory research to meet the sociocultural needs of Zambian youth.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Los Angeles

  collaborator OTHER

• University of California, San Francisco

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Charisse V Ahmed, PhD · University of California, San Francisco

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

15 Years

Max Age

24 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-09-22

Primary Completion

2026-06-30

Completion

2026-06-30

Countries

• Zambia

Study Locations