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Objective In 2022, half a million residents of New York City reported being unable to access mental health services. One solution to combat this service gap is community‐initiated care (CIC), in which staff, who are not mental health specialists, at community‐based organizations (CBOs) identify clients experiencing distress and then deliver a brief psychological intervention. CIC is intended to reduce barriers to accessing care, lessen costs, and prevent stigma. In this protocol, we describe a trial designed to evaluate implementation of CIC in New York City using a psychological intervention that has been successful globally for rapid deployment by people who are not licensed mental health clinicians. Methods This protocol describes a cluster randomized controlled trial that will compare CBOs where non‐clinical staff are trained to deliver the World Health Organization's Problem Management Plus (PM+) intervention versus CBOs providing care as usual. Forty‐two CBO sites, the unit of clustering, will be randomized 1:1 to either condition. Approximately 1000 CBO clients (26–28 per site) will be recruited. Approximately 45 CBO staff (2–3 per site) in the intervention arm will be trained to deliver PM+. The primary outcome is distress at 20 weeks post‐baseline, assessed with a personalized measure of psychological distress (the Psychological Outcome Profiles Questionnaire). Cost‐effectiveness will be evaluated. Ethical approval: August 3, 2022. Conclusions The study described in this protocol will yield evidence on effectiveness of CIC delivered by non‐clinical staff. Findings will help policymakers determine how to invest in and support non‐clinicians in the United States and globally. Highlights This protocol describes a trial that addresses barriers to accessing mental health care by training community‐based organization staff to deliver a psychological intervention, expanding access to care beyond clinical settings. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of “Problem Management Plus,” a World Health Organization‐developed intervention, in reducing psychological distress when delivered by non‐clinical staff. The trial introduces a cost‐effective, scalable model to bridge mental health service gaps, emphasizing culturally relevant and non‐stigmatizing care. Findings will provide evidence to guide policymakers on how non‐clinical staff can safely and effectively deliver mental health interventions, to expand mental health service accessibility in the U.S. and globally.

An increasing number of studies have sought to explore the applicability of scalable mental health interventions to bridge the adolescent mental health treatment gap. This study aimed to adapt the World Health Organization’s mental health intervention Early Adolescent Skills for Emotion (EASE) for urban communities in New York City (NYC). Following the mental health Cultural Adaptation and Contextualization for Implementation framework and in collaboration with three Brooklyn community-based organizations and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health, the intervention was intensively workshopped through eight weekly sessions with adolescents (n = 18) and caregivers (n = 12). Documentation of the process followed the Reporting Cultural Adaptation in Psychological Trials criteria. Surface adaptations involved revising the storybook to reflect key challenges faced by adolescents and caregivers of these communities, such as social media usage, economic stressors, and racial diversity. Deep adaptations addressed cultural concepts of distress by incorporating topics such as identity exploration, socioemotional learning, and the mind–body connection. Feedback from stakeholders indicated that the basic components of EASE are relevant for members in their communities, but additional changes would foster greater engagement and community building. These findings will inform upcoming program implementation across NYC and may guide adaptation work in other contexts.

This study focuses on post-revolutionary Iran. The Islamic Republic might initially appear to involve a religious cosmology cognate to the term 'politicized religion'–a political use of religion. However, the more complex arrangement of secular and metaphysical politics, as identified in this research, provides context to evaluate the case of the Islamic Republic in the framework of a 'political religion.' In particular, this study explores the Iranian regime's sacralization of politics, its employment of charismatic leadership, and its efforts to create a 'new man.'

This study focuses on post-revolutionary Iran. The Islamic Republic might initially appear to involve a religious cosmology cognate to the term ‘politicized religion’ – a political use of religion. However, the more complex arrangement of secular and metaphysical politics, as identified in this research, provides context to evaluate the case of the Islamic Republic in the framework of a ‘political religion.’ In particular, this study explores the Iranian regime’s sacralization of politics, its employment of charismatic leadership, and its efforts to create a ‘new man.’

Abstract Contributing to the literature on movement structure in authoritarian regimes, this analysis focuses on the structure of two Iranian movements. We use a multi-method approach to analyze the organization of the student and women’s movements in Iran between 1997 and 2008. From 1997 to 2004, a reform government opened political opportunities. The period between 2005 and 2008 was characterized by increased repression. The student movement was organized during the first period as a hybrid composed of several networks linked in a federal structure. As the political context changed, the movement became less centralized. Its strategy shifted from one based in alliance with governing reformers to coalition building outside of the regime. In contrast, the women’s movement was organized as a densely linked web of noncentralized campaigns. The women’s movement overcame divisions as political opportunities closed in the mid-2000s and built a grassroots strategy during the latter part of the decade.