Table 4.
Intervention characteristics
| References | Intervention (Number of participants) | Control (Number of participants) | Intervention description/details | Frequency and duration | Delivery format and modality | Delivery personnel/facilitators | Cultural and contextual adaptation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adegbolagun et al. [54] | Group CBT (18) | NA | A manualized CBT intervention with sessions on management of negative thoughts and feelings, activity scheduling, relaxation techniques, and attention diversion. Content adapted to reflect realities of living with Sickle Cell Disease | Weekly sessions for 5 weeks |
Group Face to Face |
Primary care physician with postgraduate training in adolescent mental health | Unspecified content adaptation to suit local culture. Sessions scheduled on weekends only to suit student’s academic schedule. Sessions condensed from 12 to 5 to enhance feasibility |
| Are et al. [55] | Group CBT (20) | Waitlist (20) | A manualized CBT intervention focused on psychoeducation, behavioural activation, activity scheduling, and relaxation strategies | 1 h weekly sessions for 5 weeks |
Group Face to Face |
Teachers trained and supervised by a psychiatrist | Manual adapted to include local metaphors and exemplars. Encouragement of helpful pre-existing cultural and religious coping strategies used by both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. Manual translated to local language (Hausa). Intervention delivered during school hours to encourage adherence |
| Bella-Awusah et al. [56] | Group CBT (20) | Waitlist (20) | A manualized CBT program with sessions on psychoeducation, behavioural activation, activity scheduling and relaxation techniques | 45–60 min weekly sessions for 5 weeks |
Group Face to Face |
Consultant Psychiatrist with training in CBT | Manual included religious-based coping strategies and cultural analogies used in the local population. Sessions delivered in both English and local language (Yoruba) |
| Bolton et al. [75] | Group IPT (105) | Creative Play (105), Waitlist (104) | A manualized IPT intervention focused on identifying and dealing with interpersonal triggers and group relationship building | 1.5-2 h weekly sessions for 16 weeks |
Group Face to Face |
Lay facilitators trained and supervised by mental health experts | Adapted to local culture (Acholi). Use of locally developed screening instrument (APAI) which reflects cultural perception of depression |
| Ede et al. [57] | Group CBT (82) | Waitlist (80) | A manualized CBT intervention which focused on cognitive restructuring (identifying, challenging, and modifying maladaptive schematic beliefs associated with depression) | 1 h weekly sessions for 12 weeks |
Group Face to Face |
Experienced adolescent mental health counsellors | Sessions delivered in English and local language (Igbo). Manual otherwise not adapted |
| Eseadi et al. [58] |
Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) (34) |
Waitlist (33) | Religious REBT techniques, in addition to general REBT techniques for treatment of depression, were used. Incorporated scriptural contents and religious resources relevant to the students' religious traditions and orientations | 2-h weekly sessions of 12 weeks | Group Face-to-face | NR | Adapted to incorporate religious philosophies and traditions of the undergraduate religious education students in Southern Nigeria |
| Ezegbe et al. [59] | Group CBT (28) | Waitlist (27) | CBT manual addressed mood monitoring techniques, cognitive restructuring, relaxation, reframing and problem-solving techniques | 2 h weekly sessions for 12 weeks |
Group Face to Face |
Professional therapists | None |
| Ezeudu et al. [60] |
Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) (12) |
Usual care (11) |
Group REBT Depression Manual used cognitive, behavioural, and emotive techniques to assist patients in identifying and altering irrational and self-defeating thoughts and beliefs which result in depression | Weekly sessions for 12 weeks |
Group Face to Face |
NR | None |
| Getanda and Vostanis [63] | Writing for Recovery (WfR) (27) |
Waitlist (27) |
A psycho-social-educational structured writing intervention which adopted a testimonial/narrative approach | Six sessions over three days |
Group Face to Face |
Paraprofessionals (with social care background) | Involvement of community stakeholders like schoolteachers, parents and religious leaders in intervention planning and implementation. Delivery of intervention in local Swahili language |
| Isa et al. [61] | Group CBT (18) | NA | A group-based manualised intervention focused on psychoeducation and basic CBT strategies (positive self-talk and behavioural activation) | 30–40 min weekly sessions for four weeks | Group. Face to Face | Psychiatrist |
Used manual developed by Nigerian experts to suit the local context Sessions delivered in commonly used local language (simplified Pidgin English) |
| Kaminer et al. [70] | Trauma-focused CBT (37) | Treatment as Usual (38) | An abbreviated 8-session version of TF-CBT, retaining all components of the original 12–15 session model but condensed into fewer sessions. Components included psychoeducation, relaxation skills, affective modulation, cognitive coping skills, trauma narrative and cognitive processing, enhancing safety, and caregiver sessions focused on parenting skills | 90 min sessions weekly sessions for eight weeks | Individual. Face to Face | Registered mental health professionals (psychological counselors and clinical psychologists) trained in TF-CBT | Abbreviated to 8 sessions to align with resource constraints in South African. Manual adapted to suit local context. The adapted manual emphasises asking participants to generate examples from their own life on which to practice the various skills, to ensure that practice examples are con-textually relevant for South African participants |
| McMullen et al. [67] | Group Trauma-focused CBT (25) | Waitlist (25) | A manualized Trauma Focused-CBT intervention focused on psychoeducation, relaxation techniques, affect expression, cognitive restructuring, trauma narration, and coping | 15 sessions over five weeks | Group. Face to Face | Experienced foreign and local mental health experts |
Manual modified to include culturally applicable analogies and exemplars. Local games and songs used to help the participants relax, learn social skills, and participate in group activities. Screening instrument modified to fit the context and language (Swahili) Use of local interpreters |
| O'Callaghan et al. [68] | Group Trauma-focused CBT (24) | Waitlist (28) | A manualized Trauma Focused-CBT intervention focusing on psychoeducation, stress management, affect expression and modulation, and cognitive restructuring and coping | 15 sessions over five weeks | Group. Face to Face | Local (Congolese) social workers |
Cultural adaptations included having a female facilitator talk about ways to reduce the risk of sexual violence (e.g., fetching firewood with a friend); the use of culturally familiar games, songs, and examples (e.g., belief that a neighbour is a witch); and social workers visiting the girl’s guardians to foster family acceptance and reduce stigmatization Screening Instrument modified to Swahili |
| Olashore et al. [71] | Psychoeducation and Problem-solving (25) | Waitlist (25) | The intervention involved interactive discussion, role-play, and brief plenary sessions. It included psychoeducation on HIV, depression, stigma, identifying problems, guided problem-solving, increasing pleasurable activities, mood monitoring, and rehearsing adaptive adherence strategies | 1 h weekly sessions for 5 weeks | Group. Face to Face | Trained graduate psychology counsellor supervised by the principal investigator | Adapted from interventions designed in high-income countries using locally relevant video vignettes, illustrations and case examples in Setswana and English |
| Ofoegbu et al. [62] | Guided Internet Assisted Intervention (96) | Usual care (96) | A Guided internet-assisted intervention that covered psychoeducation, cognitive disputation, behavioural homework assignments, and role-play. The guidance therapists provided twice-a-week and on-request assistance within the portals, and through email and telephone. Guidance involved helping participants find useful resources | 10 weeks | Individual. Internet-based | Guided self -help (Guidance by therapists) | None |
| Osborn et al. [65] | “Shamiri” Digital Intervention (50) | Study skills (53) | A Single Session Digital Intervention which consisted of three modules: growth mindset, gratitude, and value affirmation, based on principles of Wise Interventions. Study skills (control) consisted of two modules: note-taking skills and effective study habits | 1 h Single session | Individual. Computer-based | Self-help | Local stakeholders (school administrators, students, and community members) were extensively involved in the development and adaptation process to ensure that the intervention was socio-culturally appropriate for the Kenyan context. Use of locally familiar examples and metaphors |
| Osborn et al. [64] | “Shamiri” Group Intervention (28) | Study skills (24) | A combination of three Wise Interventions (growth mindset, gratitude, and value affirmation). Each session included reading and writing activities, group discussions, and homework. Control group content focused on study skills such as note-taking, effective reading strategies, and time management | 1 h weekly sessions for four weeks | Group. Face to Face | High school graduates trained as lay providers | Group discussions in either English or Kiswahili. Intervention adapted through an iterative process that took local culture and customs into consideration |
| Osborne et al. [66] | “Pre-Texts” Arts-literacy intervention (106) | Study skills. (129) | Creative Arts-literacy interventions employ art-based psychotherapeutic approaches to facilitate psychological change. Pre-Texts utilized text—such an “excerpt from a novel, a physics lesson, or a technical manual—to inspire art-making”. This is followed by a collective reflection on the process of interpretation through artmaking | 1 h daily sessions for one week | Group. Face-to-Face | High school graduates trained as lay providers | Students were encouraged to use local arts, languages, traditions, and tastes as resources for learning to make the intervention more engaging and relevant to their own lives |
| Rivet-Duval et al. [73] | Resourceful Adolescent Program- Adolescent version (RAP-A) (80) | Waitlist (80) | A manualised universal based program which included both CBT and IPT approaches covering topics such as building self-esteem, keeping calm, thinking resourcefully, problem solving, considering the perspective of others and keeping the peace | 1 h weekly sessions for 11 weeks | Group. Face to Face | School Teachers | None |
| Thurman et al. [69] | Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (260) | Usual care (229) | Intervention utilized an IPT-G manual which focused on four interpersonal areas that trigger depressive symptoms: grief, interpersonal disputes, role transitions, and relationship deficits | 1.5 h min weekly sessions for 16 weeks | Group. Face to Face | Lay facilitators recruited from the community | None |
| Tol et al. [72] | Group CBT techniques + Creative Expressive elements (153) | Waitlist (176) | A manualized intervention which consisted of cognitive behavioural techniques (psychoeducation, coping, trauma narration, future planning, social reconnection) and creative expressive elements (cooperative games, structured movement, music, drama, and dance) | 15 sessions over five weeks | Group. Face to Face | Locally identified non-specialized facilitators | NR |
| Unterhitzenberger and Rosner [74] | Unstructured Emotional Writing (23) |
Positive writing (23), No Writing (23) |
Emotional Writing involved participants writing about their deepest emotions concerning their loss. Positive Writing participants were asked to write about a trivial but positive topic like their favourite hobbies | 30 min weekly for three weeks | Individual. Face to Face | School Teachers | Adolescents received instructions and wrote in their mother tongue, Kinyarwanda |
NA Not applicable, NR Not reported