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This study evaluates the implementation of a national advocacy programme for mental health care users, conducted by the South African National Department of Health and the South African Federation for Mental Health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with care users (n = 18), service providers (n = 9), support persons (n = 6), NGO directors (n = 4), and programme managers in the DoH (n = 4). Although informational benefits were highlighted from programme empowerment sessions, very few advocacy groups were subsequently established. Barriers to establishing and conducting advocacy groups included a lack of follow-up support, pervasive stigma from communities and health care workers, low self-confidence, and a lack of financial resources. Facilitators for establishment of groups included conducting empowerment sessions and identifying ‘mental health champions’ at clinics, improving mental health training for health workers, dispensing psychiatric medication to patients on the same day, providing funding for non-governmental organisations, conducting national awareness campaigns, and establishing holistic rehabilitation centres for care users.

Purpose We aimed to explore the relationship between common mental disorders (CMDs), food insecurity and experiences of domestic violence among pregnant women attending public sector midwife obstetric units and basic antenatal care clinics in Cape Town during the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods Perinatal women, attending 14 healthcare facilities in Cape Town, were enrolled in the study during baseline data collection before the COVID-19 lockdown. During the lockdown period, fieldworkers telephonically contacted the perinatal women who were enrolled in the study and had provided contact details. The following data were collected from those who consented to the study: socio-demographic information, mental health assessment, food insecurity status and experiences of domestic violence. Poisson regression was used to model the associations of a number of risk factors with the occurrence of CMDs. Results Of the 2149 women enrolled in the ASSET study, 885 consented to telephonic interviews. We found that 12.5% of women had probable CMDs and 43% were severely food insecure. Psychological distress increased significantly during the lockdown period, compared to before the COVID-19 outbreak. Using multivariate Poisson regression modelling, we showed that the risk of CMDs was increased in women who were severely food insecure or who experienced psychological or sexual abuse. Conclusions This study provides evidence of the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on the mental health status of perinatal women living in low-resource settings in Cape Town and highlights how a crisis such as the COVID-19 lockdown amplifies the psycho-social risk factors associated with CMDs in perinatal women.

This study aimed to identify alcohol use patterns associated with viral non-suppression among women living with HIV (WLWH) and the extent to which adherence mediated these relationships. Baseline data on covariates, alcohol consumption, ART adherence, and viral load were collected from 608 WLWH on ART living in the Western Cape, South Africa. We defined three consumption patterns: no/light drinking (drinking ≤ 1/week and ≤ 4 drinks/occasion), occasional heavy episodic drinking (HED) (drinking > 1 and ≤ 2/week and ≥ 5 drinks/occasion) and frequent HED (drinking ≥ 3 times/week and ≥ 5 drinks/occasion). In multivariable analyses, occasional HED (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.78–5.30) and frequent HED (OR 7.11, 95% CI 4.24–11.92) were associated with suboptimal adherence. Frequent HED was associated with viral non-suppression (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.30–3.28). Suboptimal adherence partially mediated the relationship between frequent HED and viral non-suppression. Findings suggest a direct relationship between frequency of HED and viral suppression. Given the mediating effects of adherence on this relationship, alcohol interventions should be tailored to frequency of HED while also addressing adherence.

The upsurge in the number of people affected by the COVID-19 is likely to lead to increased rates of emotional trauma and mental illnesses. This article systematically reviewed the available data on the benefits of interventions to reduce adverse mental health sequelae of infectious disease outbreaks, and to offer guidance for mental health service responses to infectious disease pandemic. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, WHO Global Research Database on infectious disease, and the preprint server medRxiv were searched. Of 4278 reports identified, 32 were included in this review. Most articles of psychological interventions were implemented to address the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, followed by Ebola, SARS, and MERS for multiple vulnerable populations. Increasing mental health literacy of the public is vital to prevent the mental health crisis under the COVID-19 pandemic. Group-based cognitive behavioral therapy, psychological first aid, community-based psychosocial arts program, and other culturally adapted interventions were reported as being effective against the mental health impacts of COVID-19, Ebola, and SARS. Culturally-adapted, cost-effective, and accessible strategies integrated into the public health emergency response and established medical systems at the local and national levels are likely to be an effective option to enhance mental health response capacity for the current and for future infectious disease outbreaks. Tele-mental healthcare services were key central components of stepped care for both infectious disease outbreak management and routine support; however, the usefulness and limitations of remote health delivery should also be recognized.

Objective To explore health care providers’ views on the acceptability and feasibility of two models for integrating facility-based counsellor delivered mental health counselling into chronic disease care, and how such an approach could be improved in South Africa. Methods Fourteen focus group discussions and 25 in-depth individual interviews were conducted with 109 health care workers and facility managers from 24 primary health clinics in the Western Cape, South Africa. Results Findings suggested that despite recent efforts to integrate mental health counselling into chronic disease services for common mental disorders, there remains limited availability of psychosocial and psychological counselling. Feedback on the two models of integration suggested equipoise and the potential of a hybrid approach where these approaches may be tailored to the specific needs and available resources of each facility. Participants identified constraints within the health system and broader social context that require consideration for integrating mental health counselling into chronic disease care. Conclusion Although study participants unanimously agreed that counselling for common mental disorders should be integrated into chronic disease services, they had differing views on the type of model that should be adopted. There is a need for further testing of the two models and aspects of the health service that may require strengthening to implement any such model.

OBJECTIVE: The Community Informant Detection Tool (CIDT) is a vignette- and picture-based method of proactive case detection to promote help seeking for persons with depression, psychosis, alcohol use disorder, and epilepsy. The authors evaluated the effectiveness of the CIDT to increase help-seeking behavior in rural Nepal, where a district mental health care plan was being implemented. METHODS: Twenty-four health facilities were randomly assigned to one of two methods for training their all-female cadre of community health volunteers: standard training or standard training that included the CIDT. The authors compared the number of patients with depression, psychosis, alcohol use disorder, and epilepsy who were registered in the routine health information system prior to and 6 months after the training. RESULTS: At health facilities where volunteers received CIDT training, 309 patients were registered as having depression, psychosis, alcohol use disorder, or epilepsy, compared with 182 patients at facilities where volunteers received standard training. The median number of patients registered was 47% greater at facilities where CIDT training was included (24 patients) than at facilities with standard training (16 patients) (p=0.04, r=0.42). The difference in the number of registered patients remained significant when the analysis factored in the population catchment (N=18 patients [CIDT] versus N=14 [standard] per 10,000 population; p=0.05, r=0.40). CONCLUSIONS: The median number of patients registered as having a mental illness was 47% greater at primary care facilities in which community health volunteers used the CIDT than at facilities where volunteers received standard training. Proactive case finding holds promise for increasing help seeking for mental health care. IRCTN http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN28071919

Background Whilst several systematic reviews conducted in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) have revealed that coverage under social (SHI), national (NHI) and community-based (CBHI) health insurance has led to increased utilization of health care services, it remains unknown whether, and what aspects of, these shifts in financing result in improvements to mental health care utilization. The main aim of this review was to examine the impact of SHI, NHI and CBHI enrollment on mental health care utilization in LMICs. Methods Systematic searches were performed in nine databases of peer-reviewed journal articles: Pubmed, Scopus, SciELO via Web of Science, Africa Wide, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Academic Search Premier, Health Source Nursing Academic and EconLit for studies published before October 2018. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project quality assessment tool for quantitative studies. The systematic review was reported according to the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO;2018; CRD42018111576). Results Eighteen studies were included in the review. Despite some heterogeneity across countries, the results demonstrated that enrollment in SHI, CBHI and NHI schemes increased utilization of mental health care. This was consistent for the length of inpatient admissions, number of hospitalizations, outpatient use of rehabilitation services, having ever received treatment for diagnosed schizophrenia and depression, compliance with drug therapies and the prescriptions of more favorable medications and therapies, when compared to the uninsured. The majority of included studies did not describe the insurance schemes and their organizational details at length, with limited discussion of the links between these features and the outcomes. Given the complexity of mental health service utilization in these diverse contexts, it was difficult to draw overall judgements on whether the impact of insurance enrollment was positive or negative for mental health care outcomes. Conclusions Studies that explore the impact of SHI, NHI and CBHI enrollment on mental health care utilization are limited both in number and scope. Despite the fact that many LMICs have been hailed for financing reforms towards universal health coverage, evidence on the positive impact of the reforms on mental health care utilization is only available for a small sub-set of these countries.

There is very little evidence whether recalling and answering questions about abuse or interpersonal violence has a positive or negative impact on participants of such research. This is an important ethical dilemma to ensure an appropriate risk-benefit ratio in research with young people is maintained. We assessed reported harms, benefits, and regrets of young adolescents who participated in a sensitive research project, and compared the harms and benefits in those who had and had not been victims and/or perpetrators of abuse or intimate partner violence. Participants were 3,264 adolescents aged 12 to 15 years in 41 public schools in the Western Cape, South Africa, who completed a survey about intimate partner violence, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, as part of an HIV prevention cluster randomized controlled trial. The majority of participants reported research participation as beneficial (70.3%), while 27.7% reported harms and 14% regrets. Victims of abuse were more likely than non-victims to report benefits (71.9% vs. 67.1%; p = .02) and harms (31% vs. 20.9%; p < .01) and were less likely to report regret (13.1% vs. 16.7%; p = .02). Perpetrators of abuse were less likely than non-perpetrators to report benefits (67.4% vs. 72.8%; p = .01) and more likely to report harms (36.4% vs. 26.1%; p < .01) and regrets (17.4% vs. 13.3%; p = .01). Our findings suggested that research participation was more likely to have a positive rather than a negative emotional impact on young adolescents and that relatively few regretted participating. Victims and perpetrators of abuse were more likely to report benefits than harms, supporting the ethical appropriateness of ongoing research on abuse and violence. We recommend that further research is required to clarify and standardize terminology and instruments to quantify these kinds of evaluations, including measurement of the severity and intensity of reported benefits, harms and regrets, and the longer term impact of participation in sensitive research.

BackgroundMental health conditions are leading causes of disability worldwide. Psychosocial interventions for these conditions might have a key role in their treatment, although applicability of findings to poor-resource settings might be a challenge. We aimed to evaluate the strength and credibility of evidence generated in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) on the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for various mental health outcomes.MethodsWe did an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomised studies done in LMICs. Literature searches were done in Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Epistemonikos from Jan 1, 2010, until May 31, 2019. Systematic reviews of randomised studies investigating the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for mental health conditions in LMICs were included. Systematic reviews of promotion, prevention, and protection interventions were excluded, because the focus was on treatment interventions only. Information on first author, year of publication, outcomes, number of included studies, and reported summary meta-analytic estimates was extracted from included meta-analyses. Summary effects were recalculated using a common metric and random-effects models. We assessed between-study heterogeneity, predictive intervals, publication bias, small-study effects, and whether the results of the observed positive studies were more than expected by chance. On the basis of these calculations, strength of associations was assessed using quantitative umbrella review criteria, and credibility of evidence using the GRADE approach. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42019135711.Findings123 primary studies from ten systematic reviews were included. The evidence on the efficacy of psychosocial interventions in adults with depression in humanitarian settings (standardised mean difference 0·87, 95% CI 0·67–1·07; highly suggestive association, GRADE: moderate) and in adults with common mental disorders (0·49, 0·36–0·62; highly suggestive association, GRADE: moderate) was supported by the most robust evidence. Highly suggestive strength of association was found for psychosocial interventions in adults with schizophrenia for functional outcomes, in adults with depression, and in adults with post-traumatic stress disorder in humanitarian settings. In children in humanitarian settings, and in children with disruptive behaviour, psychosocial interventions were supported by suggestive evidence of efficacy.InterpretationA relatively large amount of evidence suggests the benefit of psychosocial interventions on various mental health outcomes in LMICs. However, strength of associations and credibility of evidence were quite variable, depending on the target mental health condition, type of population and setting, and outcome of interest. This varied evidence should be considered in the development of clinical, policy, and implementation programmes in LMICs and should prompt further studies to improve the strength and credibility of the evidence base.

Background Young people living in poverty are at higher risk of mental disorders, but whether interventions aimed to reduce poverty have lasting effects on mental health has not been well established. We examined whether exposure to Brazil’s conditional cash transfers programme (CCT), Bolsa Família (BFP), during childhood reduces the risk of mental health problems in early adolescence. Methods We used data from 2063 participants in the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort study. Propensity score matching (PSM) estimated the association between BFP participation at age 6 and externalising problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire – SDQ and violent behaviour) and socio-emotional competencies (Development and Well-Being Assessment questionnaire, and the Nowick-Strickland Internal-External Scale) at age 11. Results PSM results suggest that programme participation at age of six was not significantly associated with externalising problems (P = 0.433), prosocial behaviour (P = 0.654), violent behaviour (P = 0.342), social aptitudes (P = 0.281), positive attributes (P = 0.439), or locus of control (P = 0.148) at the age of 11 years. Conclusions Participation in BFP during childhood was not associated with improved or worsened mental health in early adolescence. While we cannot fully discard that findings may be due to adverse selection, results suggest that CCTs alone may not be sufficient to improve mental health outcomes and would be prudent to assess whether mental health interventions as an addition to CCTs may be helpful.

Background Perinatal depression is of substantial public health importance in low and middle income countries. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of a mental health intervention delivered by non-specialist health workers on symptom severity and disability in women with perinatal depression in Uganda. Methods Pregnant women in the second and third trimester were consecutively screened using the Luganda version of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Women who scored ≥5 on the PHQ-9 and who were confirmed to have depression by a midwife were recruited into a treatment cohort and offered a psychological intervention in a stepped care fashion. Women were assessed with PHQ-9 and WHODAS-2.0 at baseline and again at 3 and 6 months after the intervention. Negative regression analysis was done to examine change in PHQ-9 and WHODAS-2.0 scores from baseline to end line. Data were analysed using STATA version 14. Results A total of 2652 pregnant women (98.3%) consented to participate in the study and 153 (5.8%) were diagnosed as depressed. Over a quarter (28.8%) reported having experienced physical interpersonal violence (IPV) while (25.5%) reported sexual IPV in the past year. A third (34.7%) of women diagnosed with depression received 4 or more group PST sessions. There was a mean reduction in PHQ-9 score of 5.13 (95%CI − 6.79 to − 3.47, p p p Conclusion An evidence based psychological intervention implemented in primary antenatal care by trained and supervised midwives in a real-world setting may lead to improved outcomes for women with perinatal depression. Future randomised studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of this intervention and possibility for scale up.

Background Despite the availability of evidence-based treatment, there is a substantial gap between the number of individuals in need of mental health care and those who receive treatment. The aim of this study was to assess changes in treatment coverage and barriers to mental health care among adults with depression and alcohol use disorder (AUD) before and after implementation of a district mental health care plan (MHCP) in Nepal. Methods The repeat population-based cross-sectional community survey was conducted with randomly selected adults in the baseline (N = 1983) and the follow-up (N = 1499) surveys, 3 years and 6 months apart. The Patient Health Questionnaire and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test were used to screen people with probable depression and AUD. Barriers to seeking mental health care were assessed by using a standardized tool, the Barriers to Care Evaluation Scale (BACE). Results The proportion of the participants receiving treatment for depression increased by 3.7 points (from 8.1% in the baseline to 11.8% in the follow-up) and for AUD by 5.2 points (from 5.1% in the baseline to 10.3% in the follow-up study), however, these changes were not statistically significant. There was no significant reduction in the overall BACE score in both unadjusted and adjusted models for both depression and AUD. The possible reasons for non-significant changes in treatment coverage and barriers to care could be that (i) the method of repeat population level surveys with a random sample was too distal to the intervention to be able to register a change and (ii) the study was underpowered to detect such changes. Conclusion The study found non-significant trends for improvements in treatment coverage and barriers to mental health care following implementation of the district mental health care plan. The key areas for improvement in the current strategy to improve treatment coverage and barriers to mental health care included change in the content of the existing community sensitization program, particularly for changing attitude and intention of people with mental illness for seeking care.

The inclusion of mental health in the Sustainable Development Goals represents a global commitment to include mental health among the highest health and development priorities for investment. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as South Africa, contemplating mental health system scale-up embedded into wider universal health coverage-related health system transformations, require detailed and locally derived estimates on existing mental health system resources and constraints. The absence of these data has limited scale-up efforts to address the burden of mental disorders in most LMICs. We conducted a national survey to quantify public expenditure on mental health and evaluate the constraints of the South African mental health system. The study found that South Africa’s public mental health expenditure in the 2016/17 financial year was USD615.3 million, representing 5.0% of the total public health budget (provincial range: 2.1–7.7% of provincial health budgets) and USD13.3 per capita uninsured. Inpatient care represented 86% of mental healthcare expenditure, with nearly half of total mental health spending occurring at the psychiatric hospital-level. Almost one-quarter of mental health inpatients are readmitted to hospital within 3 months of a previous discharge, costing the public health system an estimated USD112 million. Crude estimates indicate that only 0.89% and 7.35% of the uninsured population requiring care received some form of public inpatient and outpatient mental healthcare, during the study period. Further, mental health human resource availability, infrastructure and medication supply are significant constraints to the realization of the country’s progressive mental health legislation. For the first time, this study offers a nationally representative reflection of the state of mental health spending and elucidates inefficiencies and constraints emanating from existing mental health investments in South Africa. With this information at hand, the government now has a baseline for which a rational process to planning for system reforms can be initiated.

Background There is a lack of high quality population-based studies from low- and middle-income countries examining the relative economic status of households with and without a member with a mental health problem. The aim of the study was to explore the socio-economic status of households with a person with severe mental disorder (SMD; psychosis or bipolar disorder) or depression compared to households without an affected person. Methods A population-based, comparative, cross-sectional household survey was conducted in Sodo district, south Ethiopia, between January and November 2015. Two samples were recruited, each with its own comparison group. Sample (1): households of 290 community-ascertained persons with a clinician-confirmed diagnosis of SMD and a comparison group of 289 households without a person with SMD. Sample (2): households of 128 people who attended the primary health care centre and who were identified by primary care staff as having a probable diagnosis of depressive disorder; and comparison households of 129 patients who attended for other reasons and who did not receive a diagnosis of depression. Household socioeconomic status (household income, consumption and asset-based wealth) was assessed using a contextualized version of theWorld Health Organization (WHO) Study on global Ageing and adult health (SAGE) questionnaire. Each disorder group (SMD and depression) was further divided into higher and lower disability groups on the basis of median score on the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule. Results Households of a person with SMD who had higher disability were more likely to have a poorer living standard (no toilet facility; p

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the association between depressive symptoms and suicidal risk over time among perinatal women at risk for depression antenatally, and assess modifying effects of age, perinatal stage and depressive symptom trajectory. METHODS: A total of 384 adult pregnant women were recruited from two antenatal clinics in an informal settlement near Cape town, South Africa, and followed-up at eight months gestation, and at three and 12 months postpartum. The MINI 6.0 Suicidality module and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) were used to measure suicidal risk and depression, respectively. Generalised Estimating Equations were used to assess the association between change in depressive symptoms from one assessment to the next (predictor) and change in suicide score or change in suicidal risk (score ≥9) (outcomes). RESULTS: HDRS scores were positively correlated with suicide score (95%CI 0.35, 0.78; p

Latent modelling was used to identify trajectories of depressive symptoms among low-income perinatal women in South Africa. Predictors of trajectories and the association of trajectories with child outcomes were assessed. This is a secondary analysis of data collected among women living in Cape Town settlements (N = 446). Participants were eligible if pregnant and 18 years or older, and included in the analysis if allocated to the control arm (routine perinatal care). Participants were excluded in case of non-singleton birth and baby death. Follow-up assessments were at 2 weeks, 6-, 18-, and 36-month postpartum. Trajectories of depressive symptoms were based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores until 18-month postpartum, using latent class growth analysis. Child physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioural outcomes were assessed at 18 and/or 36 months. Univariate and multivariate regressions were used to identify predictors of trajectories and differences in child outcomes. Four trajectories were identified: chronic low (71.1%), late postpartum (10.1%), early postpartum (14.4%), and chronic high (4.5%). Low social support, unwanted pregnancy, and risky drinking were associated with the chronic high trajectory; unemployment and HIV-positive status with the early postpartum trajectory; and intimate partner violence with the late postpartum trajectory. Weight-to-length and weight-for-age z-scores at 18 months, and weight-for-age z-scores, length-for-age z-scores, emotional symptom, and peer problem scores at 36 months differed across trajectories. Severe depressive symptoms in postpartum period have a lasting effect on child physical and socio-emotional outcomes. Multiple screening throughout pregnancy and 1-year postpartum is essential.

Background Psychological treatments are widely tested and have been effective in treating depressive symptoms. However, implementation of psychological treatments in the real world and in diverse populations remains difficult due to several interacting barriers. In this study, we assessed the acceptability and feasibility of peer-administered group interpersonal therapy for depressive symptoms among people living with HIV/AIDS in Northwest Ethiopia. Method We conducted a single-arm, peer-administered, group interpersonal therapy intervention with eight weekly sessions from 15 August to 15 December 2019 among people living with HIV/AIDS in Northwest Ethiopia. Four interpersonal therapy groups were formed for the intervention with a total of 31 participants. Results Of the 31 recruited participants, 29 completed the intervention providing a retention rate of 93.5%. The process of the intervention and its outcomes were highly acceptable as most participants expressed success in resolving their psychosocial problems, adjusting to life changes and coping with stigma. The intervention was also reported to be feasible despite anticipated barriers such as access to transportation, perceived stigma and confidentiality concerns. The post-intervention assessment revealed significant reduction in depressive symptoms (mean difference (MD) = 9.92; t = − 7.82; 95% CI, − 12.54, − 7.31; p t = 2.84; 95% CI, 0.22, 1.37; p = 0.009) and quality of life (MD = 0.39; t = 4.58; 95% CI, 0.21, 0.56; p Conclusion Group interpersonal therapy is feasible and acceptable, and people living with HIV/AIDS can benefit from group interpersonal therapy in managing depressive symptoms and in improving perceived social support and quality of life. Future studies should examine the effectiveness of group interpersonal therapy in this setting.

Evidence from middle-income countries indicates high and increasing prevalence of dementia and need for services. However, there has been little investment in care, treatment or support for people living with dementia and their carers. The Strengthening Responses to Dementia in Developing Countries (STRiDE) project aims to build both research capacity and evidence on dementia care and services in Brazil, Indonesia, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico and South Africa. This article presents the Theory of Change (ToC) approach we used to co-design our research project and to develop a strategic direction for dementia care, treatment and support, with stakeholders. ToC makes explicit the process underlying how a programme will achieve its impact. We developed ToCs in each country and across the STRiDE project with researchers, practitioners, people living with dementia, carers and policymakers at different levels of government. This involved (1) an initial ToC workshop with all project partners (43 participants); (2) ToC workshops in each STRiDE country (22–49 participants in each); (3) comparison between country-specific and overall project ToCs; (4) review of ToCs in light of WHO dementia guidelines and action plan and (5) a final review. Our experiences suggest ToC is an effective way to generate a shared vision for dementia care, treatment and support among diverse stakeholders. However, the project contribution should be clearly delineated and use additional strategies to ensure appropriate participation from people living with dementia and their carers in the ToC process.

Shortened versions of self-reported questionnaires may be used to reduce respondent burden. When shortened screening tools are used, it is desirable to maintain equivalent diagnostic accuracy to full-length forms. This manuscript presents a case study that illustrates how external data and individual participant data meta-analysis can be used to assess the equivalence in diagnostic accuracy between a shortened and full-length form. This case study compares the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and a 4-item shortened version (PHQ-Dep-4) that was previously developed using optimal test assembly methods. Using a large database of 75 primary studies (34,698 participants, 3,392 major depression cases), we evaluated whether the PHQ-Dep-4 cutoff of ≥ 4 maintained equivalent diagnostic accuracy to a PHQ-9 cutoff of ≥ 10. Using this external validation dataset, a PHQ-Dep-4 cutoff of ≥ 4 maximized the sum of sensitivity and specificity, with a sensitivity of 0.88 (95% CI 0.81, 0.93), 0.68 (95% CI 0.56, 0.78), and 0.80 (95% CI 0.73, 0.85) for the semi-structured, fully structured, and MINI reference standard categories, respectively, and a specificity of 0.79 (95% CI 0.74, 0.83), 0.85 (95% CI 0.78, 0.90), and 0.83 (95% CI 0.80, 0.86) for the semi-structured, fully structured, and MINI reference standard categories, respectively. While equivalence with a PHQ-9 cutoff of ≥ 10 was not established, we found the sensitivity of the PHQ-Dep-4 to be non-inferior to that of the PHQ-9, and the specificity of the PHQ-Dep-4 to be marginally smaller than the PHQ-9.

Background Maternal depression is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Experiences of childhood trauma contribute to maternal depression, potentially causing adult socio-economic disparities in mental health. We investigate whether adult socioeconomic status (SES) mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and antenatal depression. Methods We analyzed data from two sociodemographically distinct peri-urban sites in the Western Cape, South Africa in a birth cohort study, the Drakenstein Child Health Study: Mbekweni (N = 510) and TC Newman (N = 413). Data were collected from pregnant women between 28 and 32 weeks’ gestation. Results Associations between trauma and depressive symptoms differed by site (χ2=2163.6, df = 1419, p, Highlights • Childhood trauma and low socioeconomic status (SES) independently predict antenatal depression among a cohort of expecting women. • The relationship between childhood trauma, SES, and antenatal depression differed by clinical site. • These differential relationships may have been due to neighborhood effects on social determinants of mental health.

Background: In South Africa, symptoms of common mental disorders (CMDs) such as depression and anxiety are highly prevalent during the perinatal period and linked to experiences of domestic violence. However, limited routine detection and treatment is available to pregnant women with these problems, even though evidence suggests that screening and treating CMDs during pregnancy improves the health and economic outcomes of mothers and their children, and has been suggested as a key approach to improving the health of perinatal women and children. We investigated facilitators and barriers of service-providers and service-users in detecting and treating pregnant women with symptoms of CMDs and experiences of domestic violence. Methods: This study was conducted in four midwife obstetric units (MOUs) in Cape Town, South Africa, and in the NPOs providing community-based support in the communities surrounding the MOUs. Service-provider perspectives were informed by qualitative interviews with 37 healthcare workers providing care to pregnant women. Qualitative interviews with 38 pregnant women attending the same MOUs for their first antenatal care visit provided service-user perspectives. Results: Facilitators identified included the availability of a mental health screening questionnaire and the perceived importance of detection and treatment by both service-providers and -users. Barriers contributing to the low detection rates included service-users concerns about the lack of confidentiality and feelings of shame related to experiences of domestic violence as well as service providers discomfort in dealing with mental health issues, their limited time available and heavy patient load. In addition, service-providers highlighted the lack of standardised referral pathways and the poor uptake of referrals by women with symptoms of depression and anxiety, or experiences of domestic violenceConclusions: While the system-level barriers need to be addressed at a policy level, the patient- and provider-level barriers identified indicate the need to strengthen health systems by training antenatal care nurses to detect symptoms of CMDs and experiences of domestic violence in pregnant women, developing standardised referral pathways and training lay healthcare workers to provide treatment for mild symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Background We tested the real-world effectiveness of a collaborative task-sharing model on depressive symptom reduction in hypertensive Primary Health Care (PHC) patients in South Africa. Method A pragmatic parallel cluster randomised trial in 20 clinics in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district, North West province. PHC clinics were stratified by sub-district and randomised in a 1:1 ratio. Control clinics received care as usual (CAU), involving referral to PHC doctors and/or mental health specialists. Intervention clinics received CAU plus enhanced mental health training and a lay counselling referral service. Participant inclusion criteria were ≥ 18 years old, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score ≥ 9 and receiving hypertension medication. Primary superiority outcome was ≥ 50% reduction in PHQ-9 score at 6 months. Statistical analyses comprised mixed effects regression models and a non-inferiority analysis. Trial registration number: NCT 02425124. Results Between April 2015 and October 2015, 1043 participants were enrolled (504 intervention and 539 control); 82% were women; half were ≥ 55 years. At 6 and 12 months follow-up, 91% and 89% of participants were interviewed respectively. One control group participant committed suicide. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome between intervention (N=256/456) and control (N=232/492) groups (55.9% versus 50.9%; adjusted risk difference = -0.04 ([95% CI = -0.19; 0.11], p = 0.6). The difference in PHQ-9 scores was within the defined equivalence limits at 6 and 12 months for the non-inferiority analysis. Limitations The trial was limited by low exposure to depression treatment by trial participants and by observed co-intervention in control clinics Conclusions Incorporating lay counselling services within collaborative care models does not produce superior nor inferior outcomes to models with specialist only counselling services. Funding This work was supported by the UK Department for International Development [201446] as well as the National Institute of Mental Health, United States of America, grant number 1R01MH100470-01. Graham Thornicroft is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London at King's College London and King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Background Symptoms of depression and anxiety are highly prevalent amongst perinatal women in low-resource settings of South Africa, but there is no access to standardised counselling support for these conditions in public health facilities. The aim of this study is to develop a task-sharing psychological counselling intervention for routine treatment of mild to moderate symptoms of perinatal depression and anxiety in South Africa, as part of the Health Systems Strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa (ASSET) study. Methods We conducted a review of manuals from seven counselling interventions for depression and anxiety in low- and middle-income countries and two local health system training programmes to gather information on delivery format and common counselling components used across task-sharing interventions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 health workers and 37 pregnant women from four Midwife Obstetric Units in Cape Town to explore perceptions and needs relating to mental health. Stakeholder engagements further informed the intervention design and appropriate service provider. A four-day pilot training with community-based health workers refined the counselling content and training material. Results The manual review identified problem-solving, psychoeducation, basic counselling skills and behavioural activation as common counselling components across interventions using a variety of delivery formats. The interviews found that participants mostly identified symptoms of depression and anxiety in behavioural terms, and lay health workers and pregnant women demonstrated their understanding through a range of local idioms. Perceived causes of symptoms related to interpersonal conflict and challenging social circumstances. Stakeholder engagements identified a three-session counselling model as most feasible for delivery as part of existing health care practices and community health workers in ward-based outreach teams as the best placed delivery agents. Pilot training of a three-session intervention with community-based health workers resulted in minor adaptations of the counselling assessment method. Conclusion Input from health workers and pregnant women is a critical component of adapting existing maternal mental health protocols to the context of routine care in South Africa, providing valuable data to align therapeutic content with contextual needs. Multisector stakeholder engagements is vital to align the intervention design to health system requirements and guidelines.

Aims Mental disorders are common in people living with HIV (PLWH) but often remain untreated. This study aimed to explore the treatment gap for mental disorders in adults followed-up in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes in South Africa and disparities between ART programmes regarding the provision of mental health services. Methods We conducted a cohort study using ART programme data and linked pharmacy and hospitalisation data to examine the 12-month prevalence of treatment for mental disorders and factors associated with the rate of treatment for mental disorders among adults, aged 15–49 years, followed-up from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2017 at one private care, one public tertiary care and two pubic primary care ART programmes in South Africa. We calculated the treatment gap for mental disorders as the discrepancy between the 12-month prevalence of mental disorders in PLWH (aged 15–49 years) in South Africa (estimated based on data from the Global Burden of Disease study) and the 12-month prevalence of treatment for mental disorders in ART programmes. We calculated adjusted rate ratios (aRRs) for factors associated with the treatment rate of mental disorders using Poisson regression. Results In total, 182 285 ART patients were followed-up over 405 153 person-years. In 2017, the estimated treatment gap for mental disorders was 40.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 19.5–52.9) for patients followed-up in private care, 96.5% (95% CI 95.0–97.5) for patients followed-up in public primary care and 65.0% (95% CI 36.5–85.1) for patients followed-up in public tertiary care ART programmes. Rates of treatment with antidepressants, anxiolytics and antipsychotics were 17 (aRR 0.06, 95% CI 0.06–0.07), 50 (aRR 0.02, 95% CI 0.01–0.03) and 2.6 (aRR 0.39, 95% CI 0.35–0.43) times lower in public primary care programmes than in the private sector programmes. Conclusions There is a large treatment gap for mental disorders in PLWH in South Africa and substantial disparities in access to mental health services between patients receiving ART in the public vs the private sector. In the public sector and especially in public primary care, PLWH with common mental disorders remain mostly untreated.

ObjectivesThis is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows:To assess the effectiveness of delivery by primary workers of interventions for promotion of mental health and for prevention of mental disorders or symptoms of mental illness in LMICsTo examine the impact of intervention delivery by primary workers on resource use and costs associated with provision of mental health care in LMICs

BACKGROUND Mental disorders can adversely affect HIV treatment outcomes and survival. Data are scarce on premature deaths in people with mental disorders in HIV-positive populations, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. In this study, we quantified excess mortality associated with mental disorders in HIV-positive people in South Africa, adjusting for HIV treatment outcomes. METHODS For this cohort study, we analysed routinely collected data on HIV-positive adults receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Cape Town, South Africa between Jan 1, 2004, to Dec 31, 2017. Data from three ART programmes were linked with routine medical records on mental health treatment from Jan 1, 2010, to Dec 31, 2017, and mortality surveillance data from the South African National Population Register up to Dec 31, 2017. People living with HIV aged 15 years or older who initiated ART at a programme site were eligible for analysis. We followed up patients from ART initiation or Jan 1, 2010, whichever occurred later, to transfer, death, or Dec 31, 2017. Patients were considered as having a history of mental illness if they had ever received psychiatric medication or been hospitalised for a mental disorder. We calculated adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with 95% CIs for associations between history of mental illness, mortality, and HIV treatment outcomes (retention in care with viral load suppression [VLS; viral load 180 days late for a clinic visit at closure of the database]) using Cox proportional hazard regression and multistate models. RESULTS 58 664 patients were followed up for a median of 4·3 years (IQR 2·1-6·4), 2927 (5·0%) of whom had a history of mental illness. After adjustment for age, sex, treatment programme, and year of ART initiation, history of mental illness was associated with increased risk of mortality from all causes (aHR 2·98 [95% CI 2·69-3·30]), natural causes (3·00 [2·69-3·36]), and unnatural causes (2·10 [1·27-3·49]), compared with no history of mental illness. Risk of all-cause mortality in people with a history of mental illness remained increased in multivariable analysis adjusted for age, sex, treatment programme, year of ART initiation, CD4 count and WHO clinical stage at ART initiation, retention in HIV care with or without VLS, and LTFU (2·73 [2·46-3·02]). In our multistate model, adjusted for age, sex, year of ART initiation, cumulative time with NVL, and WHO clinical stage and CD4 cell count at ART initiation, rates of excess all-cause mortality in people with history of mental illness were greatest in patients retained in care with VLS (aHR 3·43 [95% CI 2·83-4·15]), followed by patients retained in care with NVL (2·74 [2·32-3·24]), and smallest in those LTFU (2·12 [1·78-2·53]). History of mental illness was also associated with increased risk of HIV viral rebound (transitioning from VLS to NVL; 1·50 [1·32-1·69]) and LTFU in people with VLS (1·19 [1·06-1·34]). INTERPRETATION Mental illness was associated with substantial excess mortality in HIV-positive adults in Cape Town. Excess mortality among people with a history of mental illness occurred independently of HIV treatment success. Interventions to reduce excess mortality should address the complex physical and mental health-care needs of people living with HIV and mental illness. FUNDING National Institutes of Health, Swiss National Science Foundation, South African Medical Research Council.