Suubi-Mhealth Phase II awarded

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has awarded the second phase of the Suubi-Mhealth study, aimed at developing a mobile health intervention/app for use among Ugandan youth with comorbid HIV and depression. Under the leadership of Dr. Proscovia Nabunya and Dr. Patricia Cavazos-Rehg at WashU School of Medicine, the study is being conducted in two phases: phase one (2022-2024) focused on technology/ app development and feasibility, and phase two (2024-2027) will focus on validation and testing the preliminary impact of the app on youth outcomes.

The second phase of the study was awarded following a successful NIMH review of milestones accomplished in phase one. Specifically, the team successfully engaged youth and healthcare providers in the development of the mHealth app content. Six courses were developed, with each course consisting of several modules. Short videos were developed and incorporated within the app. These focused on depression and its symptoms, strategies to reduce negative thoughts, skill building, daily activities, goal monitoring, and treatment adherence among others. Youth then engaged with the app for two months, interacting with the educational content, setting daily goals, monitoring their mood, and treatment adherence. All youth rated the app highly for its usefulness (technical effectiveness), ease of use and learning (efficiency), and likability (satisfaction).

During the second phase of the study, the team will conduct a parallel-group randomized clinical trial to pilot test the preliminary impact of the Suubi-Mhealth app on reducing depression and improving treatment adherence among 200 youth. Unique to this phase is that the team will use a waitlist control condition, where youth randomized to the control condition will also receive and engage with the app following the active intervention period.

Learn more about the Suubi-Mhealth study here.