Nabunya awarded $5 million from the National Institute of Health to streamline mental health care for adolescents living with HIV.
Proscovia Nabunya, associate professor and director of the International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD) at the Brown School at WashU, has been awarded a $5 million research grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The five-year project (effective September 2025-May 2030), awarded in collaboration with investigators from the City University of New York, aims to streamline evidence-based mental health treatment and HIV medication support for youth living with HIV in rural Uganda.
Globally, one in four adolescents living with HIV experience poor mental health, which is one of the major barriers to ending the HIV epidemic. Poor mental health is associated with increased risk of non-adherence to medication, poor engagement in care, and high risk-taking behaviors that contribute to HIV transmission. Findings from prior ICHAD studies have documented the dual burden of depression and poor treatment adherence among youth living with HIV—highlighting the urgent need for accessible, integrated interventions.
The new project, titled, STREAMS (Streamlined Treatment and Evidence-based Adolescent counseling and Medication Support), will evaluate a combination of streamlined interpersonal psychotherapy groups (IPT-G) tailored to adolescents (15-19 years) and streamlined family strengthening components, with medication adherence support. The IPT intervention is an evidence-based approach for providing mental health care that addresses key triggers of depression, such as, grief, interpersonal disputes, major life changes, and social isolation. Both individual and group formats of IPT produce long-term benefits in the treatment of depression, including among adolescents.
“This new study builds on findings and lessons learned from our earlier studies among young people living with HIV. By integrating mental health support within existing HIV care, we hope to close a critical gap in how we serve this young population. Our ultimate goal is to identify practical, scalable solutions that strengthen both mental health care and medication adherence—two essential components of long-term HIV treatment success.”-said Nabunya.
Adolescents will be recruited from participating HIV clinics. Those who screen positive for symptoms of depression via a mobile phone administered assessment will be enrolled in one of three study conditions: 1) streamlined IPT-G and family strengthening, 2) streamlined IPT-G and standard of care consisting of adherence counseling, or 3) standard of care consisting of adherence and mental health counseling. The study will evaluate the feasibility and efficaciousness of the streamlined combination intervention approach to mental health screening and treatment, while gathering data on barriers and facilitators to care access and treatment adherence. Findings will inform strategies for sustainment and scale-up in other low-resource contexts.
This project brings together investigators from Washington University in St. Louis, The City University of New York, New York University, Columbia University New York, Makerere University and StrongMinds. Learn more about ICHAD’s research studies here.