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Evaluating the Effectiveness of a School-based Stepped Care Treatment Model for Adolescent Depression in Pakistan
Sponsor: Global Institute of Human Development
Summary
This study aims to test the effectiveness of a stepped-care model to reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents in school settings in Pakistan. The study will examine whether the universal intervention, delivered by non-specialists, can reduce depressive symptoms in adolescents after 3 months. For adolescents who do not improve with universal intervention, the study will assess whether a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-based guided self-help app can provide additional support as a second-step intervention. Six hundred adolescents aged 13-15 from 40 schools in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, will take part. The study will determine which interventions work best and for which students to reduce depressive symptoms in school settings in Pakistan.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
13 Years - 15 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
600
Start Date
2025-11-13
Completion Date
2026-10-01
Last Updated
2026-05-05
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Universal Intervention & CBT-based Guided Self-Help Application
The first-stage intervention is universal intervention in the intervention arm and TAU in the control arm. In the intervention arm, adolescents receive universal intervention from non-specialists, while in the control arm, they receive TAU. Universal intervention, based on developmental, behavioral, social, and cognitive theories, aims to provide basic psychological support to adolescents, build their socioemotional life skills, and strengthen collaboration between parents and schools, including referral pathways for those requiring specialist care. The second-stage intervention is a CBT-based self-help app. At 3-months, adolescents scoring ≥5 on the PHQ-9 in both arms (indicating the presence of depressive symptoms) are individually re-randomized to continue their initial treatment (universal or TAU) or receive a step-up, CBT-based guided self-help app.
Locations (1)
Global Institute of Human Development
Islamabad, Punjab Province, Pakistan