Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40836360›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of mental health systems2025

The effects of a task shifted multi-component mental health intervention to support prosthetic and orthotic service users in Cambodia: a non-randomised controlled study.

Alan Maddock, Thearith Heang, Nil Ean, Sisary Kheng, Paul Best, Nerrolyn Ramstrand

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Article in International journal of mental health systems, 2025. 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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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Alan MaddockDepartment of Health Psychology, School of Population Health, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Thearith HeangExceed Worldwide, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Nil EanThe Center for Trauma Care and Research Organization (CTRO), Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Sisary KhengExceed Worldwide, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Paul BestCentre for Technological Innovation, Mental Health and Education (TIME), Queens University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Nerrolyn RamstrandDepartment of Rehabilitation, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Box 1026, Jönköping, 551 11, Sweden. Nerrolyn.ramstrand@ju.se.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMental health disorders are major public health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Cambodia, where chronic shortages in mental health services and human resources exist. These issues are compounded for marginalized groups such as persons with physical disabilities due to their being at a higher risk of psychological distress and PTSD symptoms. The development of effective and accessible mental health systems in Cambodia will require evidence-based culturally appropriate mental health interventions. There are insufficient good-quality studies which have been completed to draw firm conclusions about the effectiveness of culturally appropriate mental health interventions in Cambodia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a task shifted multi-component mental health intervention (named 'Friendship groups') at reducing psychological distress and PTSD, worry, rumination and increasing mindfulness among cohort of prosthetic and orthotic (P&O) service users.

methodsFrom March 2023 to June 2024 data (N = 465) were collected as part of a mental health screening programme for P&O service users across Cambodia. Participants experiencing mild to moderate psychological distress were screened and invited to participate in this study. Due to ethical considerations a non-randomised controlled trial design with repeated measures (pre-post intervention) was conducted to evaluate the effects of Friendship groups (N = 33) against a non-active control condition (N = 39).

resultsWhen compared to the control condition the Friendship groups were found to have a moderate to large effect on psychological distress, and a small to moderate effect on rumination. The Friendship group participants experienced reduced PTSD symptoms, worry and improved mindfulness post group but these changes were not significant when compared to the control condition.

conclusionsThe results from this study evidence the acceptability and effectiveness of Friendship groups at reducing psychological distress. Our results also provide clear guidance that if Friendship groups are implemented across P&O services in Cambodia, P&O service users are likely to experience reduced psychological distress. These findings also add to the growing literature supporting the need for culturally adapted task shifted mental health interventions in low- and middle-income countries, where access to specialised care remains limited.

Identifiers

PMID40836360
PMCPMC12369136

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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.