Y-MIND Africa: A Multi-Country Hybrid Type 2 Implementation-Effectiveness Stepped-Wedge Trial of a Scalable Psychological Intervention for Depression Among Adolescents and Young People

Depression and anxiety often begin during the teenage years, especially around age 15. While effective and affordable treatments exist, many young people in low and middle-income countries still struggle to access the support they need. The Y-MIND intervention helps adolescents/young people aged 15-24 years re-engage in meaningful activities and build problem-solving skills. It is delivered by trained lay counselors making it accessible through trusted community spaces. From the outset, adolescents/young people in Ghana and Zimbabwe helped shape the Y-MIND intervention – identifying what matters to them, ensuring the language felt real, and making activities practical and relevant to their daily lives. Adolescents/young people who participated in the early stages of Y-MIND have voiced their strong support for bringing this program to others like them. Together, we now plan to expand Y-MIND to four countries across West (Ghana, Burkina Faso), East (Kenya), and Southern Africa (Zimbabwe), in both English- and French-speaking communities. Through the INDEPTH Network – comprising health research centres that operate Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems across Africa, Asia and Oceania, we will partner with schools, communities, and adolescents/young people to test real-world delivery models, assess costs and resources, and co-design a sustainable scale-up plan rooted in equity and youth leadership.

Collaborators

1. York University: Dr. Benedict Weobong; Dr. Kerry Scott is assistant professor of implementation science and will provide this leadership.
2. University of Ghana: Dr. Dzifa Atta is a senior lecturer and clinical psychologist at University of Ghana; Dr. Kenneth Adde is an early-career researcher at University of Ghana.
3. Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana Dr. Raymond Aborigo
4. BasicNeeds Ghana Dr. Peter Badimak Yaro
5. INDEPTH Network Prof. Philip Adongo
6. Kings College London: Prof. Melanie Abas; Prof. Barbara Barrett
7. CREATES Kenya: Prof. Bernhards Ogutu
8. IRSS/CRUN Burkina Faso: Dr. Innocent Valea
9. University of Zimbabwe: Prof. Dixon Chibanda

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