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Background: Depression is common among people with tuberculosis (TB). The condition is typically unrecognised or untreated despite available and effective treatments in most low- and middle-income countries. TB services in these countries are relatively well established, offering a potential opportunity to deliver integrated depression screening and care. However, there is limited evidence on how such integration could be achieved. This study aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to integrate depression care in TB services. Methods: We conducted nine workshops with 76 study participants, including people with TB, their carers, and health service providers in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, seeking views on integrating depression care into TB clinics. We used a deductive thematic approach to analyse the translated transcripts of audio recordings, contemporaneous notes made during workshops for Bangladesh and India and workshop reports for Pakistan. Using the SURE (Supporting the Use of Research Evidence) thematic framework, we extracted and categorised barriers and facilitators into various domains. Results: Reported barriers to integrating depression care in TB services included lack of knowledge about depression amongst patients and the staff, financial burden, and associated stigma for people with TB and their carers. Government buy-in and understanding of how to identify and screen for depression screening were potential facilitators reported. Additionally, breaking through mental health stigma and providing the additional resources required to deliver this service (human resources and consultation time) were essential for integrating depression and TB care. Conclusions: Depression is a common condition found among people with TB, requiring early identification among people with TB. Integrating depression care into Tb services by health workers requires the availability of political support and the provision of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions for depression in people with NCDs in South Asia and explore the individual, organizational, and policy-level barriers and facilitators for the implementation and scaling up of these interventions. Eight databases (and local web pages) were searched in May 2022. We conducted random effects models to evaluate the pooled effect of psychological interventions on depression in people with NCDs. We extracted the individual, organizational, and policy level barriers and facilitators. We found five randomized control trials, nine qualitative studies, and 35 policy documents that fitted the inclusion criteria. The pooled standardized mean difference in depression comparing psychological interventions with usual care was −2.31 (95% CI, −4.16 to −0.45; p =.015, I2 = 96.0%). We found barriers and facilitators to intervention delivery, mental health appears in the policy agenda in Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, there is a lack of policies relating to training in mental health for NCD health providers and a lack of integration of mental health care with NCD care. All of the psychological interventions reported to be effective in treating depression in this population. There are important delivery and policy barriers to the implementation and scaling up of psychological interventions for people with NCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a lack of evidence on effective treatments for depression in people with T2DM, particularly in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). This study aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally adapted Behavioural Activation (BA) intervention (DiaDeM) for people with depression and T2DM in two South Asian LMICs., Methods: A multicountry, individually randomised-controlled feasibility trial was conducted from March 2022 to November 2022. We recruited adults from diabetes healthcare facilities in Bangladesh and Pakistan with a diagnosis of depression and T2DM. Consenting individuals were randomised to either optimised usual care or the DiaDeM intervention, which comprised six BA sessions delivered by non-mental health facilitators over six to twelve weeks. Participants were followed up at three and six months post-randomisation. The feasibility and acceptability of recruitment and retention, intervention delivery, and data collection were assessed. A mixed-methods process evaluation was also performed to inform the main trial., Results: The DiaDeM feasibility trial successfully recruited 128 participants, with 85 % retention at six months follow-up. The majority of participants engaged with the intervention, demonstrating good adherence to the Behavioural Activation (BA) sessions. Data completeness for key outcomes, including depression severity and HbA1c levels, was high across all time points (>90 %). The process evaluation showed high acceptability of the intervention, with participants reporting increased motivation and improved management of both T2DM and depression., Discussion: Good recruitment and retention rates, completeness of data collection, and high acceptability of the intervention showed that it would be feasible to undertake a full-scale trial., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)