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In low-income settings, ninety percent of individuals with clinical depression have no access to evidence-based psychological interventions. Reasons include lack of funds for specialist services, scarcity of trained mental health professionals, and the stigma attached to mental illness. In recent years there have been many studies demonstrating effective delivery of psychological interventions through a variety of non-specialists. While these interventions are cost-effective and less stigmatising, efforts to scale-up are hampered by issues of quality-control, and what has been described by implementation scientists as ‘voltage-drop’ and ‘programme-drift.’ Using principles of Human Centred Design in a rural setting in Pakistan, we worked with potential users to co-design a Tablet or Smartphone-based App that can assist a lay-person deliver the Thinking Healthy Programme, a World Health Organization-endorsed evidence-based intervention for perinatal depression. The active ingredients of this cognitive-therapy based intervention are delivered by a virtual ‘avatar’ therapist incorporated into the App which is operated by a ‘peer’ (a woman from the neighbourhood with no prior experience of healthcare delivery). Using automated cues from the App, the peer reinforces key therapeutic messages, helps with problem-solving and provides the non-specific but essential therapeutic elements of empathy and support. The peer and App therefore act as co-therapists in delivery of the intervention. The peer can deliver the intervention with good fidelity after brief automated in-built training. This approach has the potential to be applied to other areas of mental health and help bridge the treatment gap, especially in resource-poor settings. This paper describes the process of co-development with end-users and key features of the App.

With increasing concern related to sustainable chemistry, we investigated the biosorption of Pb2+ ions from aqueous medium using an environmental friendly and economic biosorbent Bougainvillea spectabilis (BS). The BS was modified effectively using citric acid by hydrothermal method. The biosorbent(s) was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and point of zero charge (pHpzc). Various process parameters including biosorbent dosage, time of contact, temperature, solution pH, and initial Pb2+ ions concentration were studied in batch mode. Kinetic modeling was performed to evaluate the kinetic data and results showed that the studied process followed the pseudo second order (PSO) kinetics. Equilibrium modeling was done using famous equilibrium models, i.e., Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Kaganer-Radushkevish, and Temkin in non-linear fashion to evaluate equilibrium data by varying initial Pb2+ ions concentration from 20 to 180 mg/L. Based on RMSE values, Langmuir model fits best. This paper also discusses thermodynamic parameters (i.e., enthalpy, entropy, and free energy) showing that the process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. In comparison with BS (B. spectabilis), an appreciable increase in uptake capacity of CABS (citric acid modified B. spectabilis) was observed in sequestration of Pb2+ ions from aqueous medium showing advantage of citric acid modification making it industrially favorable and socially acceptable biosorbent for efficient removal of lead from water.

IntroductionPrenatal anxiety is a prevalent condition that is harmful for women and a strong predictor of postpartum depression. This trial assesses an intervention initiated in early pregnancy to mid pregnancy among women with clinical or subclinical symptoms of anxiety in Pakistan.Methods and analysis Happy Mother, Healthy Baby (HMHB) is a phase three, two-arm, single-blind, individual randomised clinical trial conducted in the outpatient department of Holy Family Hospital, a large public tertiary care facility affiliated with Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU). Pregnant women (enrolled at ≤22 weeks of gestation) receive six individual HMHB sessions based on cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) and relaxation techniques that are administered by non-specialist providers and tailored to address anxiety symptoms. Two to six booster sessions are given between the fifth consecutive weekly core session and the sixth core session that occurs in the third trimester. Apart from baseline data, data are collected in the third trimester, at birth and at 6-weeks postpartum. Primary outcomes include diagnoses of postpartum common mental disorders. Secondary outcomes include symptoms of anxiety and of depression, and birth outcomes including small-for-gestational age, low birth weight and preterm birth. An economic analysis will determine the cost effectiveness of the intervention.EthicsEthics approval was obtained from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health Institutional Review Board (Baltimore, USA), the Human Development Research Foundation Ethics Committee (Islamabad, Pakistan), the RMU Institutional Research Forum (Rawalpindi, Pakistan) and the National Institute of Mental Health-appointed Global Mental Health Data Safety and Monitoring Board.DisseminationResults from this trial will build evidence for the efficacy of a CBT-based intervention for pregnant women delivered by non-specialised providers. Identification of an evidence-based intervention for anxiety starting in early pregnancy to mid pregnancy may be transferable for use and scale-up in other low-income and middle-income countries.Trial registration number NCT03880032.

IntroductionPerinatal depression in low- and middle-income countries is a global health concern. Interventions to support women suffering from perinatal depression using mental health specialists, such as the WHO Thinking Healthy Programme (WHO-THP), are established but may not be scalable in resource-constrained settings. The technology-assisted peer-delivered THP (THP-TAP) has been developed as a potential solution to deliver an intervention at scale. This study assesses whether the THP-TAP is cost-effective compared with the WHO-THP in Pakistan.MethodUsing data for 980 pregnant women from a cluster-randomised non-inferiority trial in Pakistan, we conducted a within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis of THP-TAP compared with WHO-THP. Health outcomes are quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) and costs in US$ (2022). Costs collected included intervention delivery costs and wider healthcare resource use costs. The trial intervention delivery costs were adapted to ‘real-world’ intervention delivery costs using evidence and assumptions. Uncertainty was explored through scenario and sensitivity analyses.ResultsDuring the trial, the mean patient QALYs were 0.683 (0.681, 0.685) for WHO-THP and 0.688 (0.686, 0.690) for THP-TAP, resulting in an incremental increase in QALYs of 0.005 (0.002, 0.008). The mean per patient costs were $279 ($268, $290) for WHO-THP and $227 for THP-TAP ($218, $236), resulting in an incremental cost of −$52 (−67, −$38). The per patient delivery costs were estimated at $44 and $24 in the real-world scenario, whereas in the trial they were $59 and $69, for WHO-THP and THP-TAP, respectively.THP-TAP is both more effective and less costly than WHO-THP. These results were robust when considering parameter uncertainty and across various scenarios.ConclusionsOur analysis suggests that THP-TAP could represent a scalable, health-improving and cost-saving intervention to support those with perinatal depression, when compared with WHO-THP.

This study explores pregnant women’s and healthcare providers’ perspectives on the role of patient-provider communication in experiences of antenatal anxiety within a low-resource setting. In 2017–18, we consecutively sampled pregnant women ( n = 19) with at least mild anxiety and purposively sampled antenatal care providers ( n = 10) from a public hospital in Punjab Province, Pakistan. We then conducted in-depth interviews and thematically coded them with a combination of inductive and deductive coding methodologies. We found that patients expressed a desire for warm, empathetic communication from providers who demonstrate respect, attentiveness, and a shared lived experience. Providers revealed an awareness that their heavy caseloads, high stress levels, and discourteous tones adversely influenced communication with pregnant women and may exacerbate their anxieties, but also reported that compassionately addressing women’s concerns, providing financial problem-solving and/or assistance, and moderating conflicting healthcare desires between patients and their families could alleviate anxiety in pregnant women. Patients reported feelings of anxiety stemming from a belief that they received lower quality communication from antenatal providers at public hospitals than patients received from antenatal providers at private hospitals, an experience that they partially attributed to their low socioeconomic status. Meanwhile, some providers disclosed potentially stigmatizing views of women from particular sociocultural backgrounds or low socioeconomic status, including perceptions that appeared to shape communication with these patients in antenatal care encounters. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that communication between pregnant women and antenatal providers that is warm, normalizes patient fears, and integrates patients’ interpersonal and financial considerations can mitigate pregnant women’s experiences of anxiety and reduce barriers to accessing antenatal care in Pakistan’s public healthcare facilities.

Background.The Thinking Healthy Programme (THP) is an evidence-based psychological intervention endorsed by the World Health Organization, tailored for non-specialist health workers in low- and middle-income countries. However, training and supervision of large numbers of health workers is a major challenge for the scale-up of THP. We developed a ‘Technology-Assisted Cascaded Training and Supervision system’ (TACTS) for THP consisting of a training application and cascaded supervision delivered from a distance.Methods.A single-blind, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial was conducted in District Swat, a post-conflict area of North Pakistan. Eighty community health workers (called Lady Health Workers or LHWs) were randomly assigned to either TACTS or conventional face-to-face training and supervision by a specialist. Competence of LHWs in delivering THP post-training was assessed by independent observers rating a therapeutic session using a standardized measure, the ‘Enhancing Assessment of Common Therapeutic factors’ (ENACT), immediately post-training and after 3 months. ENACT uses a Likert scale to score an observed interaction on 18 dimensions, with a total score of 54, and a higher score indicating greater competence.Results.Results indicated no significant differences between health workers trained using TACTS and supervised from distance v. those trained and supervised by a specialist face-to-face (mean ENACT score M = 24.97, s.d. = 5.95 v. M = 27.27, s.d. = 5.60, p = 0.079, 95% CI 4.87–0.27) and at 3 months follow-up assessment (M = 44.48, s.d. = 3.97 v. M = 43.63, s.d. = 6.34, p = 0.53, CI −1.88 to 3.59).Conclusions.TACTS can provide a promising tool for training and supervision of front-line workers in areas where there is a shortage of specialist trainers and supervisors.

Background Globally, there is a large documented gap between needs of families and children with developmental disorders and available services. We adapted the World Health Organization’s mental health Gap-Intervention Guidelines (mhGAP-IG) developmental disorders module into a tablet-based android application to train caregivers of children with developmental disorders. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of this technology-assisted, family volunteers delivered, parents’ skills training intervention to improve functioning in children with developmental disorders in a rural community of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Methods In a single-blinded, cluster randomized controlled trial, 30 clusters were randomised (1:1 ratio) to intervention (n = 15) or enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU) arm (n = 15). After screening, 540 children (18 participants per cluster) aged 2–12 years, with developmental disorders and their primary caregivers were recruited into the trial. Primary outcome was child’s functioning, measured by Childhood Disability Assessment Schedule for Developmental Disorders (DD-CDAS) at 6-months post-intervention. Secondary outcomes were parents’ health related quality of life, caregiver-child joint engagement, socio-emotional well-being of children, family empowerment and stigmatizing experiences. Intention-to-treat analyses were done using mixed-models adjusted for covariates and clusters. Results At 6-months post-intervention, no statistically significant mean difference was observed on DD-CDAS between intervention and ETAU (mean [SD], 47.65 [26.94] vs. 48.72 [28.37], Adjusted Mean Difference (AMD), − 2.63; 95% CI − 6.50 to 1.24). However, parents in the intervention arm, compared to ETAU reported improved health related quality of life (mean [SD] 65.56 [23.25] vs. 62.17 [22.63], AMD 5.28; 95% CI 0.44 to 10.11). The results were non-significant for other secondary outcomes. Conclusions In the relatively short intervention period of 6 months, no improvement in child functioning was observed; but, there were significant improvements in caregivers’ health related quality of life. Further trials with a longer follow-up are recommended to evaluate the impact of intervention. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02792894. Registered April 4, 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02792894

ObjectivesA manualised cognitive–behavioural therapy-based psychosocial intervention for prenatal anxiety called Happy Mother Healthy Baby is being tested for its effectiveness through a randomised control trial in Pakistan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intervention delivery process and the research process.DesignQualitative methods were used to explore in depth the intervention delivery and research process.SettingThis process evaluation was embedded within a randomised control trial conducted in a tertiary care facility in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.ParticipantsData were collected through in-depth interviews (n=35) with the trial participants and focus group discussions (n=3) with the research staff. Transcripts were analysed using a Framework Analysis.ResultsThe evaluation of the intervention delivery process indicated that it can be effectively delivered by non-specialist providers trained and supervised by a specialist. The intervention was perceived to be culturally acceptable and appropriately addressing problems related to prenatal anxiety. Lack of awareness of ‘talking’ therapies and poor family support were potential barriers to participant engagement. The evaluation of the research process highlighted that culturally appropriate consent procedures facilitated recruitment of participants, while incentivisation and family involvement facilitated sustained engagement and retention. Lack of women’s empowerment and mental health stigma were potential barriers to implementation of the programme.ConclusionWe conclude that non-specialists can feasibly deliver an evidence-based intervention integrated into routine antenatal care in a tertiary hospital. Non-specialist providers are likely to be more cost effective and less stigmatising. Inclusion of family is key for participant recruitment, retention and engagement with the intervention.Trial registration numberNCT03880032.

Background The lack of trained mental health professionals is a key barrier to scale-up of evidence-based psychological interventions in low and middle-income countries. We have developed an app that allows a peer with no prior experience of health-care delivery to deliver the cognitive therapy-based intervention for perinatal depression, the Thinking Healthy Programme (THP). This trial aims to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of this Technology-assisted peer-delivered THP versus standard face-to-face Thinking Healthy Programme delivered by trained health workers. Methods We will employ a non-inferiority stratified cluster randomized controlled trial design comparing the two formats of intervention delivery. A total of 980 women in the second or third trimester of pregnancy with a diagnosis of Major Depressive Episode, evaluated with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-V Disorders (SCID), will be recruited into the trial. The unit of randomization will be 70 village clusters randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention and control arms. The primary outcome is defined as remission from major depressive episode at 3 months postnatal measured with the SCID. Data will also be collected on symptoms of anxiety, disability, quality of life, service use and costs, and infant-related outcomes such as exclusive breastfeeding and immunization rates. Data will be collected on the primary outcome and selected secondary outcomes (depression and anxiety scores, exclusive breastfeeding) at 6 months postnatal to evaluate if the improvements are sustained in the longer-term. We are especially interested in sustained improvement (recovery) from major depressive episode. Discussion This trial will evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a technology-assisted peer-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy-based intervention in rural Pakistan. If shown to be effective, the novel delivery format could play a role in reducing the treatment gap for perinatal depression and other common mental disorders in LMIC. Trial registration The trial was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05353491) on 29 April 2022.

Background In many low resource settings, the provision of government mental health care services is limited to specialized psychiatry units in urban hospital care facilities, where the most common treatment for common mental disorders (CMDs) is pharmacotherapy, occasionally with adjunct nonspecific psychological support. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of adding a low intensity, psychological intervention, Problem Management Plus (PM+) for CMDs into routine care in a specialized mental health care facility in Pakistan. Methods A two arm, single-blind individual randomized controlled trial (RCT) was carried out with adults (N = 192), referred for psychological support by psychiatrists. The study participants were randomized (1:1) to PM + plus Treatment as Usual (TAU) (n = 96) or TAU only (n = 96). The primary outcomes were symptoms of anxiety and depression, measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and functional impairment as measured by WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) at 20 weeks after baseline. Results The analysis was done on intention-to-treat principle. The linear mixed model analysis showed that at 20 weeks after baseline, there was a significant reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression (mean [SD], 16.23 [8.81] vs 19.79 [7.77]; AMD, − 3.10; 95% CI, − 0.26 to − 5.76); p  = 0.03 and improvement in functioning (mean [SD], 22.94 [9.37] vs 27.37 [8.36]; AMD, − 4.35; 95% CI, − 1.45 to − 7.24); p  = 0.004 in PM + plus TAU versus TAU arm. The follow-up rate was 67% at primary end-point. Conclusions Specialized care facilities in LMICs may consider adding brief, evidence-based psychological treatments for CMDs to their routine care. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12616000381482. Registered March 23, 2016. Retrospectively registered, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Default.aspx/ ACTRN12616000381482