Y-MIND Africa: A Multi-Country Hybrid Type 2 Implementation-Effectiveness Stepped-Wedge Trial of a Scalable Psychological Intervention for Depression Among Adolescents and Young People. (360G-Wellcome-339923_Z_25_Z)

Depression and anxiety often begin during the teenage years, especially around age 15. While effective and affordable treatments exist, many young people in low- and middle-income countries still struggle to access the support they need. The Y-MIND intervention helps adolescents/young people aged 15-24 years re-engage in meaningful activities and build problem-solving skills. It is delivered by trained lay counselors making it accessible through trusted community spaces. From the outset, adolescents/young people in Ghana and Zimbabwe helped shape the Y-MIND intervention – identifying what matters to them, ensuring the language felt real, and making activities practical and relevant to their daily lives. Adolescents/young people who participated in the early stages of Y-MIND have voiced their strong support for bringing this program to others like them. Together, we now plan to expand Y-MIND to four countries across West (Ghana, Burkina Faso), East (Kenya), and Southern Africa (Zimbabwe), in both English- and French-speaking communities. Through the INDEPTH Network – comprising health research centres that operate Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems across Africa, Asia and Oceania, we will partner with schools, communities, and adolescents/young people to test real- world delivery models, assess costs and resources, and co-design a sustainable scale-up plan rooted in equity and youth leadership.