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Depressive SymptomsNCT01509573

Pilot Feasibility Trial of the Family Strengthening Intervention in Rwanda (FSI-R)

A study testing Family Strengthening Intervention in Rwanda (FSI-R) in people with Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety, run by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) at 1 site in Rwanda.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The research will examine the following Specific Aims: Specific Aim 1: To adapt a U.S.-developed family-focused and strengths-based prevention program to the context of HIV/AIDS-affected families in Rwanda (the Family-Strengthening Intervention in Rwanda or "FSI-R") using prior qualitative findings and CAB input. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 5 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety, Parenting
What is being tested?
Family Strengthening Intervention in Rwanda (FSI-R)
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
82 participants
Where
1 siteRwanda
Study dates
Jul 2011to Jun 2014
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 5 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Inclusion criteria: All participants must be HIV/AIDS-affected (i.e., having an HIV+ family member, including those who have died). We will select single and dual caregiver families to reflect population dynamics in the area. Caregivers must be at least 18 years of age (the age of majority in Rwanda), must live in the same household as the children, and must be the child's legal guardian. Legal guardians may be aunts, uncles, grandparents, or foster parents. Caregivers must be willing to discuss HIV/AIDS with school-aged children in the family.

Exclusion Criteria: Potential participants will be excluded if they do not live in the Rwinkwavu catchment area. Untreated mental illness or active suicidal ideation/attempts in the family also constitutes exclusion criteria (mental health treatment for these problems may occur in conjunction with the FSI). HIV-positive children are ineligible for the study if their HIV status has not been disclosed to them. Exclusion criteria also include lack of caregiver willingness to discuss HIV/AIDS with school-aged children in the family. Youth-headed households will be excluded due to concerns about youth caregivers' capacity to participate in the FSI in addition to other caretaking duties.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Rwanda1 site
  • Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima (PIH/IMB)

    Rwinkwavu

Other trials in Rwanda

About this study

Official title: Family-Based Prevention of Mental Health Problems in HIV/AIDS-Affected Children (R34MH084679-01A1)

The research will examine the following Specific Aims:

Specific Aim 1: To adapt a U.S.-developed family-focused and strengths-based prevention program to the context of HIV/AIDS-affected families in Rwanda (the Family-Strengthening Intervention in Rwanda or "FSI-R") using prior qualitative findings and CAB input.

Read more

Specific Aim 2: To deliver the intervention to a small group of families to collect preliminary data on intervention feasibility, acceptability, and to further refine the intervention manual for the FSI-R.

Specific Aim 3: To conduct a pilot feasibility study of the FSI-R with 80 families.

In pursuit of Specific Aim 3, this research will (a) conduct a preliminary exploratory analysis to examine the extent to which the FSI-R for HIV/AIDS-affected families is associated with improved caregiver-child relationships using measures of family connectedness, good parenting, and social support. Hypothesis 1: Participants in the FSI-R will demonstrate increases in protective processes compared to usual care controls not exposed to the FSI-R. It will also (b) conduct a preliminary exploratory analysis to determine the extent to which improved caregiver-child relationships are sustained four months after the conclusion of the FSI-R. Hypothesis 2: Four months after the conclusion of the intervention, participants in the FSI-R will demonstrate increases in protective processes compared to usual care controls not exposed to the FSI-R.

Read the detailed description

The challenge of this project is to develop a family-based intervention to prevent mental health problems in children affected by HIV/AIDS that can be initiated as caregivers come into contact with health systems via routine HIV testing and care. Specifically, we propose to develop and pilot test a prevention-oriented family-strengthening intervention to mitigate the mental health risks facing HIV/AIDS-affected children (i.e., those who are HIV+ themselves or who have an HIV+ family member, including those who have died). The intervention design, which is based upon the Family-Based Preventive Intervention (FBPI), is centrally focused on galvanizing mechanisms of resilience in children and families and building on local sources of strength. Our unique adaptation and pilot study will employ a family focus to attend to the reality that HIV/AIDS is a family disease, and to show that individual, familial, and community resources may help families to succeed despite chronic illness. The pilot intervention will use a randomized design, drawing study participants (N=80 families) from social work referrals. Protective factors characterizing the family and mental health problems in children and caregivers will be assessed pre- and post-intervention. In addition, we will survey both participants and interventionists to provide qualitative and quantitative data on the program's cultural acceptability and feasibility, and on their own satisfaction.

Being tested
Family Strengthening Intervention in Rwanda (FSI-R)
Keywords
prevention therapy, depressive symptoms, anxiety, parenting, family functioning, resilience, psychological, Developing countries, Rwanda, HIV/AIDS
Medical subject headings
Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Family Strengthening Intervention in Rwanda (FSI-R)Behavioural

    Core components of the FSI-R are derived from the FBPI theoretical framework, and were chosen to address key risk factors identified in qualitative data. The FSI-R holds separate preliminary meetings with caregivers and children to prepare for a larger family meeting. In these modules, the interventionist helps caregivers and children prioritize concerns or key messages that they most want to share with the other party. Role play and discussions are used to impart improved parenting and communication skills. In the family meetings, children and caregivers share their concerns with one another and develop a shared family narrative, which integrates past events into a singular story with shared goals and a future orientation. These family modules also discuss the services and supports (formal and non-formal resources) that the family can engage with in order to achieve their shared goals.

    8-12 weeks for 1-2 hours per week, depending on each family's pace and coverage of the material.

Study groups in NCT01509573
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
FSI-R (Intervention group)ExperimentalThe intervention group will participate in the mental health assessments and FSI-R, and will participate in post-intervention assessments and follow-up assessments.
Receives: Behavioral: Family Strengthening Intervention in Rwanda (FSI-R)
TAU (Treatment as Usual)No interventionThe TAU control group will not receive any intervention, but will participate in treatment as usual as provided by Partners In Health. They will complete assessments at all three time points.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change from Baseline in Mental Health of Children and Caregivers

    The Mental Health Assessment Batteries for Children and Caregivers are comprehensive surveys addressing a range of locally-relevant mental health problems and protective processes, as well as issues like functioning, stigma, hope, harsh parenting, parent-child relationships, and other risk and protective factors. The mental health components of the assessments have been subject to a validation study in this community. They were developed using qualitative data gathered from this population in 2007 and 2009.

    Measured: Administered to caregivers and school-aged children in each cohort three times: once within 15 days prior to the start of the intervention, once within 15 days of intervention completion, and again 4 months following intervention completion.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted13 Jan 2012 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2011
  3. Primary completionJun 2014
  4. Study completionJun 2014

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
82 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01509573
Sponsor's protocol ID
RPCGA-FSI-15440
Status last verified
Aug 2014
First submitted
22 Dec 2011
Last updated
27 Aug 2014
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Beardslee WR. Prevention and the clinical encounter. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1998 Oct;68(4):521-33. doi: 10.1037/h0080361.

    PubMed 9809112
  • Beardslee WR, Gladstone TR, Wright EJ, Cooper AB. A family-based approach to the prevention of depressive symptoms in children at risk: evidence of parental and child change. Pediatrics. 2003 Aug;112(2):e119-31. doi: 10.1542/peds.112.2.e119.

    PubMed 12897317
  • Beardslee WR, Salt P, Versage EM, Gladstone TR, Wright EJ, Rothberg PC. Sustained change in parents receiving preventive interventions for families with depression. Am J Psychiatry. 1997 Apr;154(4):510-5. doi: 10.1176/ajp.154.4.510.

    PubMed 9090338
  • Beardslee WR, Wright E, Rothberg PC, Salt P, Versage E. Response of families to two preventive intervention strategies: long-term differences in behavior and attitude change. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1996 Jun;35(6):774-82. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199606000-00017.

    PubMed 8682758
  • Betancourt TS, Meyers-Ohki S, Stulac SN, Barrera AE, Mushashi C, Beardslee WR. Nothing can defeat combined hands (Abashize hamwe ntakibananira): protective processes and resilience in Rwandan children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. Soc Sci Med. 2011 Sep;73(5):693-701. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.06.053. Epub 2011 Jul 23.

    PubMed 21840634
  • Tol WA, Barbui C, Galappatti A, Silove D, Betancourt TS, Souza R, Golaz A, van Ommeren M. Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings: linking practice and research. Lancet. 2011 Oct 29;378(9802):1581-91. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61094-5. Epub 2011 Oct 16.

    PubMed 22008428
  • Betancourt TS, Borisova II, de la Soudiere M, Williamson J. Sierra Leone's child soldiers: war exposures and mental health problems by gender. J Adolesc Health. 2011 Jul;49(1):21-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.09.021. Epub 2010 Dec 24.

    PubMed 21700152
  • Betancourt TS. Attending to the mental health of war-affected children: the need for longitudinal and developmental research perspectives. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2011 Apr;50(4):323-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2011.01.008. No abstract available.

    PubMed 21421171
  • Betancourt TS, Borisova II, Williams TP, Brennan RT, Whitfield TH, de la Soudiere M, Williamson J, Gilman SE. Sierra Leone's former child soldiers: a follow-up study of psychosocial adjustment and community reintegration. Child Dev. 2010 Jul-Aug;81(4):1077-95. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01455.x.

    PubMed 20636683
  • Betancourt TS, Brennan RT, Rubin-Smith J, Fitzmaurice GM, Gilman SE. Sierra Leone's former child soldiers: a longitudinal study of risk, protective factors, and mental health. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2010 Jun;49(6):606-15. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2010.03.008. Epub 2010 May 1.

    PubMed 20494270
  • Betancourt TS, Agnew-Blais J, Gilman SE, Williams DR, Ellis BH. Past horrors, present struggles: the role of stigma in the association between war experiences and psychosocial adjustment among former child soldiers in Sierra Leone. Soc Sci Med. 2010 Jan;70(1):17-26. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.09.038. Epub 2009 Oct 28.

    PubMed 19875215
  • Betancourt TS, Simmons S, Borisova I, Brewer SE, Iweala U, Soudiere MD. High Hopes, Grim Reality: Reintegration and the Education of Former Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone. Comp Educ Rev. 2008 Nov 1;52(4):565-587. doi: 10.1086/591298. No abstract available.

    PubMed 19337570
  • Betancourt TS, Bass J, Borisova I, Neugebauer R, Speelman L, Onyango G, Bolton P. Assessing local instrument reliability and validity: a field-based example from northern Uganda. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2009 Aug;44(8):685-92. doi: 10.1007/s00127-008-0475-1. Epub 2009 Jan 22.

    PubMed 19165403
  • Verdeli H, Clougherty K, Onyango G, Lewandowski E, Speelman L, Betancourt TS, Neugebauer R, Stein TR, Bolton P. Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy for depressed youth in IDP camps in Northern Uganda: adaptation and training. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2008 Jul;17(3):605-24, ix. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2008.03.002.

    PubMed 18558315
  • Bolton P, Bass J, Betancourt T, Speelman L, Onyango G, Clougherty KF, Neugebauer R, Murray L, Verdeli H. Interventions for depression symptoms among adolescent survivors of war and displacement in northern Uganda: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2007 Aug 1;298(5):519-27. doi: 10.1001/jama.298.5.519.

    PubMed 17666672

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Family Strengthening Intervention in Rwanda (FSI-R) in people with Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety, run by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) at 1 site in Rwanda.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Aug 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Rwanda. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change from Baseline in Mental Health of Children and Caregivers (time frame: Administered to caregivers and school-aged children in each cohort three times: once within 15 days prior to the start of the intervention, once within 15 days of intervention completion, and again 4 months following intervention completion.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01509573, which also lists 23 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 Aug 2014.

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