ArticleBMJ open2024
Evaluation of the Friendship Bench' Circle Kubatana Tose (CKT): an add-on support group intervention - a mixed-methods pilot interventional cohort study protocol.
Article in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Association between documented mental health disorders and HIV treatment outcomes among adults receiving antiretroviral therapy in rural Zimbabwe.BioPsychoSocial medicine · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionMental disorders are endemic. However, the mental health treatment gap remains high, especially in low-resource settings. Task-shifting is a universally recommended strategy to mitigate the care gap. The Friendship Bench (FB), a task-shifting, low-intensity psychotherapy programme founded in Zimbabwe, is effective in managing anxiety and depression. The FB programme offers clients the choice of joining add-on mental health support groups known as Circle Kubatana Tose (CKT). These groups offer an opportunity for continued psychoeducation, social support and economic strengthening. However, the evidence base for the effectiveness of add-on support groups is sparse. We hypothesise that participation in CKT is associated with increased adherence to treatment regimens, social support and well-being. This mixed-methods prospective cohort study seeks to evaluate the intermediate effects (6-month follow-up) of CKT groups, including process outcome evaluation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will recruit participants (N=178) receiving mental healthcare from the FB in Harare primary care clinics. Follow-up assessments will occur at enrolment, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months, assessing changes in common mental disorders (depression and anxiety), social support, positive psychological indices (hope and resilience), health-related quality of life, working alliance, economic outcomes (net income) and implementation outcome (feasibility, acceptability/satisfaction and uptake of services). Quantitative data will be analysed using descriptive analysis, bivariate statistics, Cox proportional hazard models and generalised mixed models (maximum likelihood estimation). Qualitative data will be analysed using thematic analysis. DISSEMINATION AND ETHICS: Ethical approval was granted by the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ/A/2427). The findings will inform the potential utility of add-on support groups in the management of anxiety and depression using task-shifting. Dissemination study outcomes will be disseminated in academic journals, social media, conferences and policy briefs.
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