African Youth in Mind (Y-MIND) - Pilot Feasibility Trial of a Brief Psychological Intervention for Older Adolescents With Depression Delivered Through Senior High Schools in Navrongo, Ghana

Feasibility of the intervention will be measured using the 'Feasibility of Intervention Measure' (FIM) with adolescents who received the Y-MIND intervention.

Symptoms of depression at 5 months post baseline assessment measured as the difference in mean score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) between the two arms. Difference in mean PHQ-9 would likely constitute a primary outcome in a later larger definitive trial.

Acceptability and appropriateness of the intervention will be measured using the Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM), Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM) with adolescents at the end of their last intervention session (or at their 5 month post baseline assessment if the intervention session was not attended), and with Guidance and Counselling Coordinators at schools after they have finished delivering all intervention sessions.

Acceptability will also be explored through interviews with adolescents (at end of 5 months post baseline assessment) and focus group discussions with Guidance and Counselling Coordinators (after they have finished delivering all intervention sessions) to elicit feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness and barriers and or enablers that may influence the effectiveness of the intervention.

Feasibility of the intervention from the perspective of the Guidance and Counselling Coordinators, will also be measured using the Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM) with Guidance and Counselling Coordinators.

Fidelity to delivering the psychological intervention, defined as the extent to which the intervention was delivered as intended, and measured by rating 20% of randomly selected audio-recorded psychological intervention sessions in the experimental arm using a culturally adapted form of ENACT called the 'Problem-Solving Therapy Fidelity Scale (PROOF)' tool.

Symptoms of anxiety at 5 months post baseline assessment measured as the difference in mean score on the General Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) between the two arms.

Alcohol use measured as the difference in mean score on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)

Feasibility of conducting a fully powered trial measured as the proportion of those screened who are eligible, the proportion of those eligible who consent to take part, and the proportion of those who consent who complete the 5 month primary follow up assessment.

Two types of resource use and cost data will be collected for the economic evaluation; patient and programme level costing of both direct (healthcare cost) and indirect (productivity loss) cost. Both financial (actual money spent) and economic cost (e.g. donated items and volunteering time) will be assessed.