OVERVIEW
STUDY DATES: 2024 – 2025
Research Title: Adapting an evidence-based transdiagnostic intervention addressing mental health and alcohol use for use among adolescent girls and young women living with HIV or at risk of HIV
This study aims to help adolescent girls and young women in Uganda improve their HIV prevention, care, and treatment outcomes by addressing mental health and substance use issues. We’re considering expanding access to the Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA), a proven intervention that tackles multiple issues simultaneously and can be implemented without specialized mental health providers. It has been effectively implemented in 14 countries including Uganda and has shown promise in reducing problems like depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse through randomized controlled trials. We are interested in expanding access to CETA, specifically among young women. We will conduct interviews with key stakeholders involved in the initial training and implementation of CETA in Uganda. Then we will interview young women experiencing mental health symptoms and/or alcohol use in Wakiso District (i.e. those who would be eligible for the intervention when available) to explore intervention acceptability and appropriateness.
STUDY AIMS
Conduct a formative assessment to:
Aim 1. Understand how the initial implementation process went and identify potential challenges to further implementation
Aim 2. Determine acceptability of the intervention among this population and identify any potential modifications needed to tailor it to their preferences
WHY?
This project helps advance health equity by enhancing access to behavioral health services in a high need, low resource setting.
Young women aged 15-24 in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Uganda, face a high risk of HIV. In Uganda, HIV rates among young women are four times higher than among young men. This increased risk is linked to factors like alcohol use and depression, which also hinder effective HIV treatment. Addressing these issues is urgent due to their significant impact on public health in the region. Despite an urgent need, mental health and substance use services in the region are extremely limited.
For more information about the Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) intervention, see https://www.cetaglobal.org
Principal Investigator (PI)
Amanda P. Miller, MS, PhD
PI Affiliation
San Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, California, USA
PARTNERS
- Africa Medical and Behavioral Sciences Organization
- Johns Hopkins University
LOCATION
Kabarole District (Western Uganda) and Wakiso District (Central Uganda)
Funder: San Diego Center for AIDS Research (SD CFAR), an NIH-funded program (P30 AI036214)
Contact us with any inquiries or questions
Outcomes
Stay tuned …
Building Research Initiatives Advancing Global Health Equity (BRIDGE) at San Diego State University
