Group Intervention for Adolescent Anxiety and Depression: Outcomes of a Randomized Trial with Adolescents in Kenya

Youth mental health interventions in low-resource communities may benefit from including empirically supported elements, using stigma-free content, and using trained lay-providers. We developed and evaluated such an intervention, targeting adolescent depression and anxiety in Kenya, where mental health care is limited by social stigma and a paucity of providers.

51 adolescents participated

14 to 17

Students were aged 14 to 17

(d = .32) (d = .54)

Significant reductions in depression (d = .32) and anxiety (d = .54)

(d = .32)

Significant improvements in academic performance (d = .32)

The Challenge

In impoverished regions with few resources, adolescents face significant mental health needs. Stigmas and a scarcity of services can make it difficult for these teens to access the help they need.

The Solution

A group intervention called Shamiri Intervention, administered by trained youth lay-providers, offers a potentially game-changing approach. This program focuses on reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, without directly labeling the intervention as a treatment for these conditions.

The Study

A study was conducted with a control group participating in a study skills program, while the test group took part in the Shamiri Intervention.

The Procedure

The study aimed to measure the effects of the intervention on self-reported depression, anxiety, perceived control, social support, and academic grades.

The Results

The Shamiri Iintervention had significant positive effects on self-reported depression and anxiety, and also on academic performance. Interestingly, the intervention did not have significant effects on perceived control and overall social support.

In Conclusion

Our study suggests that a low-cost group intervention can have a significant positive impact on adolescents' mental health and academic performance in resource-limited settings. More studies are needed to further investigate the robustness of this intervention, but the preliminary results are promising.

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Youths improved wellbeing outcomes

Effect of Shamiri Layperson-Provided Intervention vs Study Skills Control Intervention for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Adolescents in Kenya: RCT

The Shamiri intervention shows that scalable psychological interventions that invoke simple psychological principles, rather than explicit references to psychopathology, can alleviate depression and anxiety symptoms in Kenyan adolescents.

$15.15

Cost of delivery

Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of Shamiri, a Brief, Layperson-Delivered Intervention for Kenyan Adolescents: RCT

Shamiri is a cost-effective method that can significantly reduce depression and anxiety. Non-expert providers can offer this effective treatment with just 10 days of training, compared to the several years required to become a licensed mental health provider.

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The Network Approach: A Path to Decolonize Mental Healthcare

The violent colonial history of psychiatry in Africa prevents individuals from seeking help. Because of this history, mental health care is now stigmatized, and clinical research, practice, and policy fail to capture the salient features of distress across African communities.

Research Informs Our Work

See below on how research guides us every step of the way:

Science can help us shape the future

The goal of our research is to develop interventions that can help youth actualize their life outcomes, identify which interventions work and why, and develop and test novel and accessible approaches to dissemination and scaling in order to maximize our impact.

Open science

Open science allows us to collaborate and share our work with the world. Our data and publications are open access.

Multicultural collaboration

Multicultural and interdisciplinary collaboration amplifies the communities that we serve.

Contextualized research

Research is not done in a silo. It is done with and for communities. Context matters.