Newman 2021.
| Study name | An eHealth intervention for promoting COVID‐19 knowledge and protective behaviors and reducing pandemic distress among sexual and gender minorities: protocol for a randomized controlled trial (#SafeHandsSafeHearts) |
| Methods |
Study design: RCT Country: Thailand and India |
| Participants | LGBT+ people Inclusion criteria: a. aged 18 years and older; b. self‐identify as LGBT+ using local, culturally appropriate self‐identifications; c. reside in one of the two cities (Bangkok and Mumbai); d. able to understand and willing to provide informed consent; e. able to understand primary language(s) at the site (Thai, Hindi/Marathi, or English). Exclusion criteria: a. not use exclusion criteria based on mental health. The Patient Health Questionnaire‐2 (PHQ‐2) will be administered in the baseline survey; those with scores indicative of clinical depression (≥ 3 on the depression scale) will be referred by peer counsellors to in‐house mental health professionals on call at the site. Stated purpose: to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief, peer‐delivered eHealth intervention to increase COVID‐19 knowledge and public health–recommended protective behaviours, and reduce psychological distress amongst LGBT+ people residing in Bangkok, Thailand, and Mumbai, India. |
| Interventions |
Intervention: eHealth intervention 3‐session, peer counsellor–delivered eHealth intervention based on motivational interviewing (MI) and psychoeducation (45 minutes to 1‐hour weekly individual sessions). MI is a client‐centred counselling approach that elicits and strengthens intrinsic motivation for change; psychoeducation integrates education and counselling to promote mental health. Control: Waiting list (the waiting‐list control group will receive brief reminders by mobile phone to support retention. Governments and public health ministries in India and Thailand provide almost daily briefings about COVID‐19 via multiple sources: TV, newspapers, Facebook, WhatsApp, LineChat, Instagram, and SMS text messages. Online messenger platforms (e.g. WhatsApp, Line) provide LGBT‐targeted information, with additional government mobile apps developed for general populations.) |
| Outcomes |
Participants'outcomes of interest for this review
Economic outcomes Nil Time points: baseline, post‐intervention (2 weeks after post‐intervention and two months follow‐up) |
| Starting date | 1 August 2021 (start recruitment date) |
| Contact information | Peter A Newman, p.newman@utoronto.ca |
| Notes |
Source of funding: not reported Prospective trial registration number: NCT04870723 |