Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41034949›Full record

ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2025

Brief problem-solving therapy (PST) for women experiencing antenatal depressive symptoms: a randomised, controlled feasibility trial in (an) antenatal care setting in rural Ethiopia.

Tesera Bitew, Roxanne Keynejad, Katherine Sorsdahl, Bronwyn Myers, Simone Honikman, Girmay Medhin, Eshcolewyine Fekadu, Adiyam Mulushoa, Louise M Howard, Fikirte Girma and 1 more

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Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
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4 · The record

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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

11 authors.

Tesera BitewDepartment of Psychology, College of Educational and Behavioural Sciences, Injibara University, Injibara, Ethiopia. tesera2016@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2270-9542
Roxanne KeynejadInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Health Service and Population Research Department, Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.
Katherine SorsdahlDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Bronwyn MyersFaculty of Health Sciences, Curtin enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Simone HonikmanDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Girmay MedhinDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Eshcolewyine FekaduDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Adiyam MulushoaDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Louise M HowardInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Health Service and Population Research Department, Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.
Fikirte GirmaDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Charlotte HanlonInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Health Service and Population Research Department, Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.

Funding

DELTAS Africa Initiative DEL-15-01
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe adapted non-specialist healthcare worker (HCW) delivered problem-solving therapy (PST) to support improved treatment of antenatal depression in maternal healthcare platforms in rural Ethiopia. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability of PST for antenatal depression and the procedures required for the implementation of a fully-powered randomised controlled trial (RCT).

methodsParticipants were consecutive antenatal care (ANC) attendees in two primary healthcare (PHC)-based healthcare facilities, based on pre-established eligibility criteria. We employed a randomised, controlled feasibility trial design with two parallel groups. Participants in the intervention arm received four sessions of a contextually adapted version of PST; the control group received enhanced usual care (EUC) that involved routine antenatal care and information about sources of support. Assessments were conducted at baseline (T

resultsAfter screening and the consent process, we randomised 50 eligible women to PST and EUC arms. Trial procedures such as participant recruitment and allocation concealment were feasible. Most (64%) completed all four sessions of the intervention. About 58% of HCWs attained expected scores on Enhancing Assessment of Common Therapeutic factors (ENACT) scale. No adverse events occurred during the trial. Supervision reports indicated that HCWs appreciated skills gained from PST and adhered to most of the PST content, except challenging women who reported not having problems or worries. However, they recommended pre-recorded videos of role play demonstrations and shorter trainer demonstrations, to increase trainees' opportunities to practise skills.

conclusionsParticipant recruitment, screening, randomisation, masking, as well as the intervention delivery process, were feasible. Future training should prioritise opportunities for HCWs to practise skills as much as possible. https://pilotfeasibilitystudies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40814-021-00773-8

trial registrationThe protocol was registered in the Pan-African clinical trials registry, (PACTR): registration number: PACTR202008712234907 on 18/08/2020; URL: https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=9578 . The protocol has also been published: https://pilotfeasibilitystudies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40814-021-00773-8 .

Indexed as

Antenatal depressionEthiopiaFeasibility trialProblem solving therapy

Identifiers

PMID41034949
PMCPMC12486535

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.