Research Publications

Effect of the Friendship Bench intervention on antiretroviral therapy outcomes and mental health symptoms in rural Zimbabwe: A cluster randomized trial

Importance Common mental disorders (CMD) are prevalent in people living with HIV and associated with suboptimal antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. Objective To assess the effect of a lay health worker-led …

Using the RE-AIM framework to evaluate the implementation of scaling-up the Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe – a quantitative observational study

This study aimed to evaluate the real-world implementation of the Friendship Bench (FB) – an evidence-based brief psychological intervention delivered by community health workers (CHWs) – three years after its …

Using the RE-AIM framework to evaluate the implementation of scaling-up the Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe - a quantitative observational study.

This study aimed to evaluate the real-world implementation of the Friendship Bench (FB) - an evidence-based brief psychological intervention delivered by community health workers (CHWs) - three years after its …

A Digital Mental Health Intervention (Inuka) for Common Mental Health Disorders in Zimbabwean Adults in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Feasibility and Acceptability Pilot Study.

Common mental health disorders (CMDs) are leading causes of disability globally. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the burden of CMDs. COVID-19 containment measures, including lockdowns, have disrupted access …

Adaptation of a Problem-solving Program (Friendship Bench) to Treat Common Mental Disorders Among People Living With HIV and AIDS and on Methadone Maintenance Treatment in Vietnam: Formative Study.

The prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs) among people living with HIV and people who inject drugs is high worldwide and in Vietnam. However, few evidence-informed CMD programs for people …

Adaptation of Friendship Bench, a problem-solving intervention, to treat common mental disorders among people living with HIV/AIDS and on methadone maintenance treatment in Vietnam (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs) among people living with HIV (PWH) and people who inject drugs (PWID) is high globally and in Vietnam. Yet, few evidence-based CMD interventions …

Adaptation of a Problem-solving Program (Friendship Bench) to Treat Common Mental Disorders Among People Living With HIV and AIDS and on Methadone Maintenance Treatment in Vietnam: Formative Study

Background The prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs) among people living with HIV and people who inject drugs is high worldwide and in Vietnam. However, few evidence-informed CMD programs for …

Using a theory of change to develop an integrated intervention for depression, diabetes and hypertension in Zimbabwe: lessons from the Friendship Bench project

Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are projected to become the leading cause of disability and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030; a vast treatment gap exists. There is a dearth of …

Optimising implementation strategies of the first scaleup of a primary care psychological intervention for common mental disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa: a mixed methods study protocol for the optimised Friendship Bench (OptFB)

Introduction Common mental disorders (CMDs) are a leading cause of disability globally. CMDs are highly prevalent in Zimbabwe and have been addressed by an evidence-based, task-shifting psychological intervention called the …

The Experiences of Counsellors Offering Problem-Solving Therapy for Common Mental Health Issues at the Youth Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe.

There is growing evidence that lay health workers providing counselling is a feasible approach of addressing the universally large treatment gap for mental disorders. This study illuminates the experiences of …

Using a theory of change to develop an integrated intervention for depression, diabetes and hypertension in Zimbabwe: lessons from the Friendship Bench project.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are projected to become the leading cause of disability and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030; a vast treatment gap exists. There is a dearth of knowledge …

Optimising implementation strategies of the first scaleup of a primary care psychological intervention for common mental disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa: a mixed methods study protocol for the optimised Friendship Bench (OptFB).

Common mental disorders (CMDs) are a leading cause of disability globally. CMDs are highly prevalent in Zimbabwe and have been addressed by an evidence-based, task-shifting psychological intervention called the Friendship …

A Mixed-Methods Process Evaluation: Integrating Depression Treatment Into HIV Care in Malawi.

Depression is highly prevalent among people living with HIV in Malawi. Depression can undermine engagement in HIV care and worsen HIV morbidity and mortality. The Ministry of Health integrated a …

The Friendship Bench as a brief psychological intervention with peer support in rural Zimbabwean women: a mixed methods pilot evaluation

Abstract Background There is a large treatment gap for common mental disorders in rural areas of low-income countries. We tested the Friendship Bench as a brief psychological intervention delivered by …

Potential Resilience to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Common Mental Disorders among Lay Health Workers Working on the Friendship Bench Programme in Zimbabwe

Abstract:Purpose. The Friendship Bench is a successful task-shifting intervention for addressing common mental disorders in Zimbabwe. The intervention takes a cognitive behavioural therapy and problem-solving approach provided by lay health …

Interview topic guide for: "Impact of Friendship Bench problem-solving therapy on adherence to ART in young people living with HIV in Zimbabwe"

Interview topic guides made available to support a paper titled "Impact of Friendship Bench problem-solving therapy on adherence to ART in young people living with HIV in Zimbabwe: A qualitative …

Impact of Friendship Bench problem-solving therapy on adherence to ART in young people living with HIV in Zimbabwe: A qualitative study

Background Adolescents and young people globally are highly vulnerable to poor mental health especially depression, and they account for 36% of new HIV infections in Eastern and Southern Africa. HIV …

A community health volunteer delivered problem-solving therapy mobile application based on the Friendship Bench ‘Inuka Coaching’ in Kenya: A pilot cohort study

Abstract Background Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the largest care gap for common mental disorders (CMDs) globally, heralding the use of cost-cutting approaches such as task-shifting and digital technologies as viable …

The Experiences of Counsellors Offering Problem-Solving Therapy for Common Mental Health Issues at the Youth Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe

Abstract There is growing evidence that lay health workers providing counselling is a feasible approach of addressing the universally large treatment gap for mental disorders. This study illuminates the experiences …

Friendship Bench problem-solving therapy and its impact on adherence to ART among young people – Interview transcripts

The Friendship Bench Project