Mormugao

Researchers are evaluating approaches to reduce the treatment gap for depression in Goa, India. This Hybrid Type 2 Implementation-Effectiveness Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial compares a community intervention combined with a facility-based psychological treatment versus the facility-based treatment alone. The goal is to see if adding community strategies increases demand for and improves outcomes of a brief psychological treatment for depression delivered by non-specialist health workers in primary care settings. The study involves two groups: one receiving only the Healthy Activity Program (HAP), a psychosocial intervention delivered face-to-face in six to eight weekly sessions at health centers, and another receiving both HAP and a community intervention delivered by trained volunteers called Sangathis. The community intervention includes awareness activities, educational materials, community identification of depression, facilitating access to HAP, home visits to support treatment adherence, and family engagement. Participants will be adults living in selected clusters who speak English or local languages. Researchers will track treatment demand, uptake, completion rates, and depression severity. Outcomes include contact coverage during recruitment and effectiveness coverage three months later. The study excludes those with communication impairments, emergencies, or active psychosis. The total participation duration involves initial screening and follow-up assessments three months post recruitment.