NIH Awards $5.1 Million for Groundbreaking Research to Improve Mental Health and HIV Treatment among Adolescents in Uganda

Strategic Insights -

A new research project aims to address critical gaps in care for young people living with both HIV and depression in rural Uganda. The National Institutes of Health has awarded Dr. Philip Kreniske $5,115,391 for the Streamlined Treatment and Evidence-based Adolescent counseling and Medication Support (STREAMS) study. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of integrating mental health, economic empowerment, and medication support into a single system for adolescents living with HIV.

Key Takeaways:

  • The STREAMS study will be implemented across 24 HIV clinics in Uganda's Masaka region, using a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing depressive symptoms and improving medication adherence.
  • The researchers will also explore barriers and facilitators to care, with a focus on scalability and feasibility in real-world service delivery settings.
  • The study addresses critical gaps in care for young people living with both HIV and depression, with one in four adolescents with HIV experiencing poor mental health in low- and middle-income countries.
  • The STREAMS study builds on decades of work in HIV treatment and mental health, including biomedical breakthroughs and the adaptation of mental health programs in Uganda.
  • The innovation of the STREAMS study lies in its use of simple mobile technology for mental health screening and integration of mental health, economic empowerment, and medication support into a single system.

Statistics:

  • One in four adolescents with HIV in low- and middle-income countries experiences poor mental health.
  • The majority of the world's 1.7 million adolescents living with HIV reside in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • The study will be implemented across 24 HIV clinics affiliated with the International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD) in Uganda's Masaka region.
  • The STREAMS study received $5,115,391 from the National Institutes of Health in support of its research.
  • The study is guided by award numbers K01MH122319 and R01HD074949 from the National Institute of Mental Health and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Sources:

  • Mental Health Weekly Digest
  • National Institutes of Health