Centre for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; and School Of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Haramaya University, Ethiopia
Rahel Birhane
Centre for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; and Centre for Global Mental Health & Centre for Implementation Science, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
Tigist Eshetu
Centre for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Girmay Medhin
Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Abebaw Minaye
School of Psychology, College of Education and Behavioral Studies, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Kassahun Habtamu
School of Psychology, College of Education and Behavioral Studies, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Anthony J. Cleare
Center for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
Barkot Milkias
Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Martin Prince
Centre for Global Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; and King's Global Health Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, UK
Centre for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; Center for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; and Department of Global Health & Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, UK
Background The poor detection of depression in primary healthcare (PHC) in low- and middle-income countries continues to threaten the plan to scale up mental healthcare coverage. Aims To describe the process followed to develop an intervention package to improve detection of depression in PHC settings in rural Ethiopia. Method The study was conducted in Sodo, a rural district in south Ethiopia. The Medical Research Council's framework for the development of complex interventions was followed. Qualitative interviews, observations of provider–patient communication, intervention development workshops and pre-testing of the screening component of the intervention were conducted to develop the intervention. Results A multicomponent intervention package was developed, which included (a) manual-based training of PHC workers for 10 days, adapted from the World Health Organization's Mental Health Gap Action Programme Intervention Guide, with emphasis on depression, locally identified depressive symptoms, communication skills, training by people with lived experience and active learning methods; (b) screening for culturally salient manifestations of depression, using a four-item tool; (c) raising awareness among people attending out-patient clinics about depression, using information leaflets and health education; and (d) system-level interventions, such as supportive supervision, use of posters at health facilities and a decision support mobile app. Conclusions This contextualised, multicomponent intervention package may lead to meaningful impact on the detection of depression in PHC in rural Ethiopia and similar settings. The intervention will be pilot tested for feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness before its wider implementation.
