Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40041129›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in digital health2025

Developing and testing tele-support psychotherapy using mobile phones for depression among youth in Kampala district, Uganda: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Etheldreda Nakimuli-Mpungu, Jeremiah Mutinye Kwesiga, John Mark Bwanika, Davis Musinguzi, Caroline Nakanyike, Jane Iya, Sabrina Bakeera Kitaka, Benedict Akimana, Charlotte Hawkins, Patricia Cavazos and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in digital health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Etheldreda Nakimuli-MpunguDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Jeremiah Mutinye KwesigaDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
John Mark BwanikaThe Medical Concierge Group, Kampala, Uganda.
Davis MusinguziThe Medical Concierge Group, Kampala, Uganda.
Caroline NakanyikeSEEK Group Support Psychotherapy Initiative, Kampala, Uganda.
Jane IyaSEEK Group Support Psychotherapy Initiative, Kampala, Uganda.
Sabrina Bakeera KitakaDepartment of Pediatrics, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Benedict AkimanaButabika National Referral Mental Hospital, Ministry of Health of Uganda, Kampala, Uganda.
Charlotte HawkinsUniversity College London, London, United Kingdom.
Patricia CavazosHealth and Behavior Research Center, School of Medicine in St Louis, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States.
Jean B NachegaDepartments of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
Edward J MillsDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Musisi SegganeDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: In the post-COVID-19 era, depressive disorders among youth have risen significantly, creating an urgent need for accessible, cost-effective mental health interventions. This study adapts Group Support Psychotherapy into Tele-Support Psychotherapy (TSP) via mobile phones. It aims to evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, and cost-efficiency in addressing mild to moderate depression among youth in central Uganda. Methods and analysis: This study will use a mixed-methods approach, starting with a qualitative phase to adapt Group Support Psychotherapy into Tele-Support Psychotherapy (TSP) via mobile phones. Guided by ecological theories and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), focus group discussions and interviews with youth, mental health professionals, and stakeholders will inform the development of a youth-tailored call platform integrated into Rocket Health Africa's telehealth services. Data will be analyzed using grounded theory and MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2022 to guide intervention adaptation. An open-label randomized controlled trial will enroll 300 youth (15-30 years) with mild to moderate depression from Kampala, Uganda, to evaluate Tele-Support Psychotherapy (TSP). Participants will be randomized to TSP with standard mental health services (SMHS) or SMHS alone. Primary outcomes include feasibility and acceptability, with secondary outcomes assessing cost-effectiveness, depressive symptom changes, and social support. Intention-to-treat analysis using structural equation modeling will evaluate treatment effects, complemented by qualitative insights into implementation barriers and facilitators. Discussion: This study protocol develops and evaluates Tele-Support Psychotherapy (TSP) for youth depression in resource-limited settings, addressing mental health gaps exacerbated by COVID-19. Using user-centered design and mixed methods, it explores TSP's feasibility, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness while addressing barriers like technology literacy, laying the groundwork for accessible digital mental health solutions. Trial Registration: PACTR202201684613316.

Indexed as

COVID-19depressionrandomized controlled trialtele-support psychotherapyUgandaUganda tele-support psychotherapyyouth

Identifiers

PMID40041129
PMCPMC11876404

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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.