Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42252458›Full record

ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2026

Combining self-regulation and poverty reduction to prevent depression and anxiety among adolescents experiencing multi-dimensional poverty in Colombia, Nepal and South Africa: study protocol of a pilot 4-arm cluster randomised controlled trial.

Mark J D Jordans, Crick Lund, Emily C Garman, Manuel Seifert Bonifaz, Mauricio Avendano, Annette Bauer, María Cecilia Dedios Sanguineti, Georgia Eleftheriou, Sara Evans-Lacko, Sandra García Jaramillo and 17 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2026. 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

27 authors.

Mark J D Jordans *Center for Global Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AB, UK. mark.jordans@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5925-8039
Crick Lund *Center for Global Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AB, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5159-8220
Emily C GarmanAlan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8128-5997
Manuel Seifert BonifazCenter for Global Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AB, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-3458-2440
Mauricio AvendanoCenter for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Annette BauerCare Policy and Evaluation Centre, London, School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.
María Cecilia Dedios SanguinetiSchool of Government, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6141-304X
Georgia EleftheriouCenter for Global Mental Health Equity, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Sara Evans-LackoCare Policy and Evaluation Centre, London, School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.
Sandra García JaramilloSchool of Government, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
Juan Felipe GarcíaInnovations for Poverty Action (IPA) Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
Kamal GautamTranscultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) Nepal, Baluwatar Kathmandu, Nepal.
Martin GevondenDepartment of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7867-1443
Roxanne JacobsAlan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0922-1286
Brandon A KohrtCenter for Global Mental Health Equity, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3829-4820
Lydia KrabbendamDepartment Clinical Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Nagendra P LuitelCenter for Global Mental Health Equity, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8291-0205
Nicci van der MerweWaves for Change, Muizenberg, South Africa.
Juan Jose Castellanos PiedrahitaWar Child Alliance, Bogotá, Colombia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-9471-2322
Rakesh SinghCenter for Global Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0016-6903
Mohammadamin SinichiDepartment Clinical Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Daniela TrujilloInnovations for Poverty Action (IPA) Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
Katherine SorsdahlAlan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Cape Town, South Africa.
Sanchari RoyDepartment of Economics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
Wietse A TolSection of Global Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Daniela RojasInnovations for Poverty Action (IPA) Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
Paula YarrowWaves for Change, Muizenberg, South Africa.

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 221940/Z/20/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPoverty is associated with depression and anxiety among adolescents, but evidence of interventions that prevent adolescent depression and anxiety among adolescents living in poverty is weak. Interventions either focus on reducing poverty or addressing depression and anxiety, but an approach that combines both may offer larger benefit. This multi-site parallel pilot cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT) evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of a selective preventive intervention for depression and anxiety that simultaneously intervenes on both poverty and self-regulation among adolescents living in urban poverty.

methodsThe study takes place in Bogotá (Colombia), Kathmandu (Nepal) and Cape Town (South Africa). The pilot cRCT has four arms: (i) self-regulation intervention, (ii) economic intervention, (iii) combined (self-regulation + economic) intervention, and (iv) control group (care as usual). Interventions consist of 20 weekly group sessions with adolescents, and 6 monthly group sessions with their caregivers. The self-regulation intervention for adolescents includes psychological activities (mindfulness breathing, problem solving, biofeedback and goal setting) and a physical activity. The economic intervention includes three dimensions (financial training, negotiation training, education information) and a monthly cash transfer. In each site, the aim was to recruit 240 adolescents and their caregivers across eight schools (clusters), with two schools randomised to each arm. Adolescents residing in areas at risk of multidimensional poverty and who had symptoms of depression or anxiety, but who did not meet thresholds indicating depression and anxiety disorders, were considered for enrolment. Recruitment into the study is complete: a total of 628 adolescents and 536 caregivers were enrolled. Participants will be assessed four times: at enrolment, post-intervention and at 12 and 18 months post-enrolment. Primary outcomes include feasibility and acceptability criteria for study and intervention delivery procedures (i.e. randomisation, masking, recruitment, retention, missingness, fidelity, attendance, adverse events) defined as traffic light criteria to assess progression to an adequately powered trial. Secondary outcomes include self-report instruments, physiological measures and neuropsychological tasks. DISCUSSION: The effectiveness of combining self-regulation and anti-poverty interventions remains untested. This study will establish the feasibility and acceptability of delivering such an intervention, as well as test the trial procedures to inform a future adequately powered trial.

trial registrationISRCTN 14601588. Retrospectively registered. Date: 19 May 2024.

Indexed as

AdolescenceAnxietyCash transferDepressionPovertyPreventionSelf-regulation

Identifiers

PMID42252458
PMCPMC13465900

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.