Rotheram‐Borus 2014a.

Study characteristics
Methods	Study design: cluster‐RCT Duration of study: the study was conducted from 2008 to 2010. Country: South Africa Income classification: upper‐middle‐income country in 2008‐2010 Geographical scope: urban and rural, KwaZulu‐Natal Healthcare setting: 8 clinics in the province were selected for randomization.
Participants	1. Age: women had an average age of 26.5 years (SD = 5.5). 2. Gender: female 3. Socioeconomic background: 44.8% were employed; 59.7% lived in formal housing. 4. Educational background: 79.7% had some secondary education. Inclusion criteria: pregnant women who tested seropositive for HIV. Exclusion criteria: none reported. Note: at baseline, the intervention and control group prevalence for depression measured with General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), scores > 7, was, respectively, 14.7% (N = 80) and 13.6% (N = 89). Stated purpose: to evaluate the effect of clinic‐based support by HIV‐positive peer mentors, in addition to standard clinic care, on maternal and infant well‐being among women living with HIV (WLH) from pregnancy through the infant’s first year of life
Interventions	Name: enhanced intervention Title/name of PW and number: peer mentors (number not specified) 1. Selection: peer mentors were recruited from advertisements placed in the clinics, and WLH who were childbearing and had good social skills were selected as peer mentors. 2. Educational background: not specified 3. Training: “the Peer Mentors were trained for about 2 months prior to implementation and were certified after being observed; in‐person supervision was provided weekly”; “Peer Mentors were trained in cognitive‐behavioural skills, applying knowledge of PMTCT to daily life, building maternal skills, acquiring information in a manual, practicing each session serving as WLH, building skills using vignettes, supporting WLH to cope with their HIV status, and creating a personal statement about how the Peer Mentor adapted to her HIV status. The training was performed by senior collaborators”. 4. Supervision: supervision is conducted by supervisors who rotate to each site every 2 weeks to observe and provide feedback and supervise weekly group sessions; supervisors give support to peer mentors to help them cope with their own feelings about the difficult situations in women’s lives. 5. Incentives/remuneration: not specified Prevention type: indicated – 14.7% of participants scored above the cut‐off of the GHQ at baseline. Intervention details: on the day of their HIV diagnosis, WLH met with a peer mentor and were invited to attend eight meetings with peers, in addition to standard care. The meetings cover: 1) normalizing being a WLH; 2) establishing healthy daily routines without alcohol or smoking; 3) adhering to medications and visits, monitoring of health status, etc.; 4) obtaining a child support grant; 5) using a single feeding method, not using traditional medicines during this time; 6) building and maintaining a social network; 7) consistent condom use, implementing universal precautions; 8) encouraging couple HIV testing and disclosure of HIV serostatus; and 9) bonding with her infant. Control: usual care
Outcomes	Participants’outcomes of interest for this review Diagnosis of mental disorder – GHQ, scores > 7 as proxy Carers’ outcomes of interest for this review Nil Economic outcomes Nil Time points: baseline, post‐intervention (< 1 month, 1‐6 months, 7‐24 months)
Notes	Source of funding: this study was funded by the NIMH grant R01MH077553. In addition, this work was supported by the Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services (CHIPTS) NIMH grant P30MH058107; the UCLA AIDS Institute and the UCLA Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) NIH grant P30AI028697; and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through UCLA CSTI grant UL1TR000124. Notes on validation of instruments (screening and outcomes): the GHQ is a widely used instrument that has been validated across contexts. Additional information: none Handling the data: not applicable Prospective trial registration number: NCT00972699