Suubi-Mhealth: A Mobile Health Intervention to Address Depression Among Youth

Suubi-Mhealth is a theoretically-based digital therapeutics tool that aims to provide educational content on depression while considering the unique needs of SSA youth living with HIV. This educational content will be aligned with scientific recommendations for cognitive-behavioral therapy for adherence and depression as applied to HIV medication adherence. Core instruction will include psychoeducation on the interplay between HIV and depression; minimizing cognitive distortions related to ART adherence and stigma, as well as depression; challenging negative automatic thoughts; analysis and development of behavioral skills; reducing environmental stressors. Suubi-Mhealth will also have a social networking center in which patients can contact the research team, peers who are also taking part in this intervention, and other trusted individuals such as loved ones. Other features include tools for setting and monitoring goals, and a clinical management dashboard for the research team.