The Challenge
Mental health is a critical area that needs attention worldwide. However, there is a need for cost-effective and efficient ways to deliver mental health interventions. Training lay providers (people without formal mental health training), is a promising approach, but more research is needed to understand the best training and supervision procedures.
The Solution
The Shamiri Intervention, a four-session, school-based program, was developed to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in Kenyan teenagers. The delivery of this intervention was through trained lay providers.
The Study
The study aimed to document the training and supervision procedures of the Shamiri Intervention and collect feedback from the lay providers.
The Procedure
A total of 13 lay providers underwent a 10-hour training session. The training was primarily led by undergraduates, and supervision meetings were held twice weekly. The session recordings were assessed for fidelity and quality of services.
The Results
The results were encouraging. The fidelity and quality measures were rated very good to excellent. The lay providers' quantitative ratings of the training were also overwhelmingly positive, with an overall satisfaction rating of 6.46/7.00. Most of the comments about training style, content, and personal interactions were positive.
In Conclusion
The study provides preliminary evidence that a brief, undergraduate-delivered training can prepare lay providers to deliver effective mental health interventions. The study also emphasizes the importance of considering the local context and continuously collecting and addressing lay provider feedback in future research.
