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

All participants in the intervention arm will receive the EUC plus the Y-Mind intervention. Y-Mind intervention will be delivered by trained and supervised Guidance and Counselling Coordinators (GCC) at schools in 6 sessions. The six sessions will include a) psychoeducation on depression, b) behavioural activation (helping the participant see the connection between their behaviour, daily activities, and low mood and activity scheduling) and c) problem-solving therapy (the GCC helps the participant identify and define a specific problem to work on, evaluate the potential solutions to the problem, and carry out the selected solution(s)).

Enhanced Usual Care (EUC): Guidance and counselling coordinators in the schools provide some counselling to students who need it. Building on the existing structure, enhanced usual care in the Y-mind programme, will be enhanced in three ways: 1) Teaching staff will receive basic training on common mental health conditions affecting youth in Ghana with an emphasis on depression and suicidal symptoms and treatment. The WHO guidelines for school health services will form the basis for the training for teachers. 2) Nurses in all schools and other relevant local health care professionals will be trained in mental health, substance-use and self-harm including guidelines on when and where to refer young people for psychiatric care. The World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap intervention guide (mhGAP) will be used for training of nurses and other health care professionals . 3) The study team will provide a letter for the Guidance and Counselling Coordinators for the participant.