Depression DisordersNCT06740084
African Youth in Mind (Y-MIND) - Pilot Feasibility Trial of a Brief Psychological Intervention for Older Adolescents With Depression Delivered Through Senior High Schools in Navrongo, Ghana
A study testing Y-MIND Intervention in people with Depression Disorders, run by King's College London at 1 site in Ghana.
Trial summary
The overarching aim of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility of implementing a psychological intervention (Y-MIND), delivered by school guidance and counselling coordinators, for the treatment of depression among adolescents in senior high schools in Ghana. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 15 to 18 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Depression Disorders
- What is being tested?
- Y-MIND Intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteGhana
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2024to 1 Aug 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 15 to 18 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Adolescents aged 15 to 18 years in senior high schools located within the Kassena-Nankana Municipality and Kassena-Nankana West District
- Have scored 10 or more on the locally validated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
- be willing and able to be followed up for 5 months and provide informed consent or assent
- For adolescents 15-17 years participants must have 5) access to a caregiver to obtain informed consent
- All participants must have the ability to read, write and communicate in English language.
Who cannot join
- are currently receiving any psychological treatment (talking therapy) for any common mental disorder through formal health care services
- have active bipolar disorder or psychosis (assessed through a brief screening tool for bipolar disorder and psychosis)
- have advanced or chronic physical illness (assessed through self-report)
- have significant visual or hearing impairment which would interfere with their ability to take part in the study
- are actively suicidal (assessed through the use of a four-item screening tool administered by a psychiatric nurse and reviewed by the trial clinical psychologist
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
The overarching aim of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility of implementing a psychological intervention (Y-MIND), delivered by school guidance and counselling coordinators, for the treatment of depression among adolescents in senior high schools in Ghana. The study is a parallel arm cluster randomised controlled pilot trial. We will recruit adolescents aged 15 to 18 years in senior high schools. Participants will be randomised to receive the Y-MIND psychological intervention or enhanced usual care.
- Conditions
- Depression Disorders
- Being tested
- Y-MIND Intervention, Enhanced Usual Care
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Y-MIND InterventionBehavioural
All participants in the intervention arm will receive the EUC plus the Y-Mind intervention. Y-Mind intervention will be delivered by trained and supervised Guidance and Counselling Coordinators (GCC) at schools in 6 sessions. The six sessions will include a) psychoeducation on depression, b) behavioural activation (helping the participant see the connection between their behaviour, daily activities, and low mood and activity scheduling) and c) problem-solving therapy (the GCC helps the participant identify and define a specific problem to work on, evaluate the potential solutions to the problem, and carry out the selected solution(s)).
Enhanced Usual CareOther
Enhanced Usual Care (EUC): Guidance and counselling coordinators in the schools provide some counselling to students who need it. Building on the existing structure, enhanced usual care in the Y-mind programme, will be enhanced in three ways: 1) Teaching staff will receive basic training on common mental health conditions affecting youth in Ghana with an emphasis on depression and suicidal symptoms and treatment. The WHO guidelines for school health services will form the basis for the training for teachers. 2) Nurses in all schools and other relevant local health care professionals will be trained in mental health, substance-use and self-harm including guidelines on when and where to refer young people for psychiatric care. The World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap intervention guide (mhGAP) will be used for training of nurses and other health care professionals . 3) The study team will provide a letter for the Guidance and Counselling Coordinators for the participant.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced Usual Care | Active comparator | Enhanced Usual Care (EUC): Guidance and counselling coordinators in the schools provide some counselling to students who need it. Building on the existing structure, enhanced usual care in the Y-MIND programme, will be enhanced in three ways 1) Teaching staff will receive basic training on common mental health conditions affecting youth in Ghana with an emphasis on depression and suicidal symptoms and treatment. 2) Nurses in all schools and other relevant local health care professionals will be trained in mental health, substance-use and self-harm including guidelines on when and where to refer young people for psychiatric care. 3) The study team will provide a letter for the Guidance and Counselling Coordinators for the participant. Receives: Other: Enhanced Usual Care |
| Y-MIND Intervention | Experimental | All participants in the intervention arm will receive the EUC plus the Y-Mind intervention. Y-Mind intervention will be delivered by trained and supervised Guidance and Counselling Coordinators (GCC) at schools in 6 sessions. The six sessions will include a) psychoeducation on depression, b) behavioural activation (helping the participant see the connection between their behaviour, daily activities, and low mood and activity scheduling) and c) problem-solving therapy (the GCC helps the participant identify and define a specific problem to work on, evaluate the potential solutions to the problem, and carry out the selected solution(s)). Receives: Behavioral: Y-MIND Intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Feasibility of the intervention
Feasibility of the intervention will be measured using the 'Feasibility of Intervention Measure' (FIM) with adolescents who received the Y-MIND intervention.
Measured: At the end of treatment (week 6) (or at their 5 months post baseline assessment if the treatment sessions were not attended)
Symptoms of depression
Symptoms of depression at 5 months post baseline assessment measured as the difference in mean score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) between the two arms. Difference in mean PHQ-9 would likely constitute a primary outcome in a later larger definitive trial.
Measured: 5 months post baseline assessment
Secondary outcomes (5)
Acceptability and appropriateness of the intervention
Acceptability and appropriateness of the intervention will be measured using the Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM), Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM) with adolescents at the end of their last intervention session (or at their 5 month post baseline assessment if the intervention session was not attended), and with Guidance and Counselling Coordinators at schools after they have finished delivering all intervention sessions.
Acceptability will also be explored through interviews with adolescents (at end of 5 months post baseline assessment) and focus group discussions with Guidance and Counselling Coordinators (after they have finished delivering all intervention sessions) to elicit feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness and barriers and or enablers that may influence the effectiveness of the intervention.
Measured: At end of Y-MIND intervention sessions or at 5 months post baseline assessment
Feasibility of the intervention (Guidance and Counselling Coordinators)
Feasibility of the intervention from the perspective of the Guidance and Counselling Coordinators, will also be measured using the Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM) with Guidance and Counselling Coordinators.
Measured: At the end of treatment delivery
Fidelity to delivering the psychological intervention
Fidelity to delivering the psychological intervention, defined as the extent to which the intervention was delivered as intended, and measured by rating 20% of randomly selected audio-recorded psychological intervention sessions in the experimental arm using a culturally adapted form of ENACT called the 'Problem-Solving Therapy Fidelity Scale (PROOF)' tool.
Measured: From the first treatment session (week 1) to the end of treatment (week 6)
Symptoms of anxiety
Symptoms of anxiety at 5 months post baseline assessment measured as the difference in mean score on the General Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) between the two arms.
Measured: 5 months post baseline assessment
Alcohol use
Alcohol use measured as the difference in mean score on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)
Measured: 5 months post baseline assessment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Dec 2024
- Study start1 Jul 2024
- Primary completion1 Feb 2025
- Study completion1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Depression DisordersStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by King's College LondonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- King's College London
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Zimbabwe, University of Ghana, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06740084
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HR/DP-23/24-38948
- Other IDs
- NIHR133384
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 9 Dec 2024
- Last updated
- 13 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Weobong B, Hodsoll J, Akanlu AG, Adde KS, Attah DA, Adagnera J, Awine T, Bawa S, Jopling R, Owusu BA, Bere T, Owusu L, Anyorikeya M, Nyamayaro P, Adams S, Achana F, Dambayi E, Ayuure C, Heller DJ, Yaro PB, Adongo PB, Glozah FN, Aborigo R, Barrett B, Smith P, Kumwenda M, Chibanda D, Abas M, Goldsmith K; *Y-MIND consortium. A lay teacher-counsellor delivered brief psychological treatment for moderate to severe depression among older adolescents in senior high schools in Ghana (Y-MIND): a feasibility cluster randomized controlled trial. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2026 Oct 11:2026.10.08.26364988. doi: 10.64898/2026.10.08.26364988.
PubMed 42926966Attah DA, Bere CT, Smith P, Adde KS, Bawa S, Achana F, Owusu L, Dambayi E, Ayuure C, Jopling R, Glozah F, Aborigo R, Chibanda D, Abas M, Weobong B. The African youth in mind (Y-MIND) brief psychological intervention for depression among school-going adolescents in Ghana: a development case series. BMC Psychiatry. 2026 Mar 5;26(1):304. doi: 10.1186/s12888-026-07938-w.
PubMed 41787357Jopling R, Attah D, Abas M, Adde KS, Goldsmith K, Bere T, Nyamayaro P, Aborigo RA, Barrett B, Owusu L, Glozah F, Akanlu A, Bawa S, Achana FS, Danese A, Smith P, Seward N, Kumwenda M, Chibanda D, Weobong B. African Youth in Mind - Protocol of a Pilot feasibility trial of a brief psychological Intervention for older adolescents with depression delivered through senior high schools in Navrongo, Ghana. PLoS One. 2025 Apr 1;20(4):e0319462. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319462. eCollection 2025.
PubMed 40168302
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- African Youth in Mind (Y-MIND) - Pilot Feasibility Trial of a Brief Psychological Intervention for Older Adolescents With Depression Delivered Through Senior High Schools in Navrongo, Ghana
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06740084
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HR/DP-23/24-38948
- Conditions
- Depression Disorders
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- King's College LondonUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Zimbabwe, University of Ghana, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 18 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The overarching aim of this pilot study is to assess the feasibility of implementing a psychological intervention (Y-MIND), delivered by school guidance and counselling coordinators, for the treatment of depression among adolescents in senior high schools in Ghana. The study is a parallel arm cluster randomised controlled pilot trial. We will recruit adolescents aged 15 to 18 years in senior high schools. Participants will be randomised to receive the Y-MIND psychological intervention or enhanced usual care.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced Usual Care | Active comparator | Other: Enhanced Usual CareEnhanced Usual Care (EUC): Guidance and counselling coordinators in the schools provide some counselling to students who need it. Building on the existing structure, enhanced usual care in the Y-MIND programme, will be enhanced in three ways 1) Teaching staff will receive basic training on common mental health conditions affecting youth in Ghana with an emphasis on depression and suicidal symptoms and treatment. 2) Nurses in all schools and other relevant local health care professionals will be trained in mental health, substance-use and self-harm including guidelines on when and where to refer young people for psychiatric care. 3) The study team will provide a letter for the Guidance and Counselling Coordinators for the participant. |
| Y-MIND Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Y-MIND InterventionAll participants in the intervention arm will receive the EUC plus the Y-Mind intervention. Y-Mind intervention will be delivered by trained and supervised Guidance and Counselling Coordinators (GCC) at schools in 6 sessions. The six sessions will include a) psychoeducation on depression, b) behavioural activation (helping the participant see the connection between their behaviour, daily activities, and low mood and activity scheduling) and c) problem-solving therapy (the GCC helps the participant identify and define a specific problem to work on, evaluate the potential solutions to the problem, and carry out the selected solution(s)). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 15 to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Adolescents aged 15 to 18 years in senior high schools located within the Kassena-Nankana Municipality and Kassena-Nankana West District
- Have scored 10 or more on the locally validated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
- be willing and able to be followed up for 5 months and provide informed consent or assent
- For adolescents 15-17 years participants must have 5) access to a caregiver to obtain informed consent
- All participants must have the ability to read, write and communicate in English language.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- are currently receiving any psychological treatment (talking therapy) for any common mental disorder through formal health care services
- have active bipolar disorder or psychosis (assessed through a brief screening tool for bipolar disorder and psychosis)
- have advanced or chronic physical illness (assessed through self-report)
- have significant visual or hearing impairment which would interfere with their ability to take part in the study
- are actively suicidal (assessed through the use of a four-item screening tool administered by a psychiatric nurse and reviewed by the trial clinical psychologist
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Y-MIND InterventionAll participants in the intervention arm will receive the EUC plus the Y-Mind intervention. Y-Mind intervention will be delivered by trained and supervised Guidance and Counselling Coordinators (GCC) at schools in 6 sessions. The six sessions will include a) psychoeducation on depression, b) behavioural activation (helping the participant see the connection between their behaviour, daily activities, and low mood and activity scheduling) and c) problem-solving therapy (the GCC helps the participant identify and define a specific problem to work on, evaluate the potential solutions to the problem, and carry out the selected solution(s)). | Behavioural | Y-MIND Intervention |
| Enhanced Usual CareEnhanced Usual Care (EUC): Guidance and counselling coordinators in the schools provide some counselling to students who need it. Building on the existing structure, enhanced usual care in the Y-mind programme, will be enhanced in three ways: 1) Teaching staff will receive basic training on common mental health conditions affecting youth in Ghana with an emphasis on depression and suicidal symptoms and treatment. The WHO guidelines for school health services will form the basis for the training for teachers. 2) Nurses in all schools and other relevant local health care professionals will be trained in mental health, substance-use and self-harm including guidelines on when and where to refer young people for psychiatric care. The World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap intervention guide (mhGAP) will be used for training of nurses and other health care professionals . 3) The study team will provide a letter for the Guidance and Counselling Coordinators for the participant. | Other | Enhanced Usual Care |
Primary outcome
Feasibility of the intervention
Time frame: At the end of treatment (week 6) (or at their 5 months post baseline assessment if the treatment sessions were not attended)
Feasibility of the intervention will be measured using the 'Feasibility of Intervention Measure' (FIM) with adolescents who received the Y-MIND intervention.
Symptoms of depression
Time frame: 5 months post baseline assessment
Symptoms of depression at 5 months post baseline assessment measured as the difference in mean score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) between the two arms. Difference in mean PHQ-9 would likely constitute a primary outcome in a later larger definitive trial.
5 secondary outcomes
Acceptability and appropriateness of the intervention
Time frame: At end of Y-MIND intervention sessions or at 5 months post baseline assessment
Feasibility of the intervention (Guidance and Counselling Coordinators)
Time frame: At the end of treatment delivery
Fidelity to delivering the psychological intervention
Time frame: From the first treatment session (week 1) to the end of treatment (week 6)
Symptoms of anxiety
Time frame: 5 months post baseline assessment
Alcohol use
Time frame: 5 months post baseline assessment
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Mar 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42926966Weobong B, Hodsoll J, Akanlu AG, Adde KS, Attah DA, Adagnera J, Awine T, Bawa S, Jopling R, Owusu BA, Bere T, Owusu L, Anyorikeya M, Nyamayaro P, Adams S, Achana F, Dambayi E, Ayuure C, Heller DJ, Yaro PB, Adongo PB, Glozah FN, Aborigo R, Barrett B, Smith P, Kumwenda M, Chibanda D, Abas M, Goldsmith K; *Y-MIND consortium. A lay teacher-counsellor delivered brief psychological treatment for moderate to severe depression among older adolescents in senior high schools in Ghana (Y-MIND): a feasibility cluster randomized controlled trial. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2026 Oct 11:2026.10.08.26364988. doi: 10.64898/2026.10.08.26364988.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41787357Attah DA, Bere CT, Smith P, Adde KS, Bawa S, Achana F, Owusu L, Dambayi E, Ayuure C, Jopling R, Glozah F, Aborigo R, Chibanda D, Abas M, Weobong B. The African youth in mind (Y-MIND) brief psychological intervention for depression among school-going adolescents in Ghana: a development case series. BMC Psychiatry. 2026 Mar 5;26(1):304. doi: 10.1186/s12888-026-07938-w.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 40168302Jopling R, Attah D, Abas M, Adde KS, Goldsmith K, Bere T, Nyamayaro P, Aborigo RA, Barrett B, Owusu L, Glozah F, Akanlu A, Bawa S, Achana FS, Danese A, Smith P, Seward N, Kumwenda M, Chibanda D, Weobong B. African Youth in Mind - Protocol of a Pilot feasibility trial of a brief psychological Intervention for older adolescents with depression delivered through senior high schools in Navrongo, Ghana. PLoS One. 2025 Apr 1;20(4):e0319462. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319462. eCollection 2025.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Y-MIND Intervention in people with Depression Disorders, run by King's College London at 1 site in Ghana.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Ghana. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Feasibility of the intervention (time frame: At the end of treatment (week 6) (or at their 5 months post baseline assessment if the treatment sessions were not attended)). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06740084, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Mar 2026.