ArticleBJPsych open2024
A scoping review of the literature on the application and usefulness of the Problem Management Plus (PM+) intervention around the world.
Article in BJPsych open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Implementation outcomes of the WHO psychosocial intervention problem management plus in humanitarian settings: a systematic review.Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Patient perspectives on group problem management plus for adults with major depressive disorder in rural Malawi.Global health action · 2025Trial
- Are Group Interventions Effective at Improving Health Outcomes in Culturally And Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Populations With Chronic Conditions? An Umbrella Review.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2026Review
- Article
- Problem Management Plus for improving mental health among earthquake-affected individuals in Türkiye: pilot randomised controlled trial.BJPsych open · 2026Article
- Article
- Harmonizing adapted interventions across contexts: lessons from harmonizing the World Health Organization's Caregiver Skills Training in Ethiopia and Kenya.Translational behavioral medicine · 2026Article
- Changes in depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms among children and adolescents exposed to adverse childhood experiences following participation in the PROACT intervention in Nairobi, Kenya.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Advancing mental health equity: a community-based adaptation of problem management plus (PM+) on a mobile health clinic.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Acceptability of Self-Help Plus and Problem Management Plus interventions among clients and implementation insights from staff of Opioid Agonist Treatment programs in Ukraine.PLOS mental health · 2026Article
- Understanding suicide risk among LGBTQ+ youth in Peru: Findings from a nationwide mental health survey.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2026Article
- Competency-based training and supervision in group problem management plus in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Article
- The added benefit of including cognitive coping in brief psychosocial interventions: A randomized controlled trial among veterans and family members in Ukraine.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2025Article
- A guide to selecting psychological interventions that can be delivered by people who are not mental health specialists in low-resource settings.PLOS global public health · 2025Review
- Piloting competency assessments for an evidence-based brief psychological intervention with Arabic-speaking non-specialists in Switzerland.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2025Article
- Prevalence and associated factors of mental and substance use problems among adults in Kenya: A community-based cross-sectional study.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundGiven the high rates of common mental disorders and limited resources, task-shifting psychosocial interventions are needed to provide adequate care. One such intervention developed by the World Health Organization is Problem Management Plus (PM+).
aimsThis review maps the evidence regarding the extent of application and usefulness of the PM+ intervention, i.e. adaptability, feasibility, effectiveness and scalability, since it was introduced in 2016.
methodWe conducted a scoping review of seven literature databases and grey literature from January 2015 to February 2024, to identify peer-reviewed and grey literature on PM+ around the world.
resultsOut of 6739 potential records, 42 met the inclusion criteria. About 60% of the included studies were from low- and middle-income countries. Findings from pilot/feasibility trials demonstrated that PM+ is feasible, acceptable and safe. Results from definitive randomised controlled trials at short-term follow-up also suggested that PM+ is effective, with overall moderate-to-large effect sizes, in improving symptoms of common mental health problems. Although PM+ was more effective in reducing symptoms of common mental disorders, it was found to be costlier compared to usual care in the only study that evaluated its cost-effectiveness.
conclusionsOur findings indicate that PM+, in its individual and group formats, can be adapted and effectively delivered by trained helpers to target a wide range of common mental health concerns. More effectiveness and implementation evidence is required to understand the long-term impact of PM+, its cost-effectiveness and scalability, and moderators of treatment outcomes such as gender and delivery formats.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.