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. 2022 Jul 8;6(7):e37211. doi: 10.2196/37211

Table 3.

Summary of changes in Friendship Bench (FB) manual.

Chapter Name of chapter Revision
N/Aa Cover page

  • Changed the illustration from Zimbabwean to Vietnamese

  • Changed the word “Lay health workers” to “Counselors” to suit both groups of counselors of the study in Vietnam
N/A Introduction

  • Rewrote the preface to fit the purpose of the program in Vietnam
1 Psychoeducation

  • Used the words “Common Mental Disorder” to refer to a collective term of depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders instead of “kufungisisa” (Zimbabwean for depression and anxiety).

  • Removed information about tablets
2 Core competencies

  • Changed chapter title from “Lay health workers” to “Counselors”

  • Replaced the Zimbabwean CMDb screening SSQc with DASS-21d for research in Vietnam
3 Mental illness or mental neurological substance use disorders

  • Removed information about postpartum depression, fatherhood, sexual partners, and family
4 Epilepsy

  • Removed completely
5 Medication

  • Kept information about ARTe

  • Added information about MMTf
6 Belief in supernatural powers

  • Removed completely
7 HIV and mental health

  • Added information on HIV transmission through injection

  • Removed information about misunderstandings about church teachings
8 Substance use disorders

  • Added information on substance use disorders caused by injecting drugs

  • Added information about amphetamine-type stimulants

  • Removed the substance use chemicals that cause bronchodilators

  • Removed alcohol and pregnancy
9 Psychosis

  • Removed completely
10 Problem-solving therapy

  • Retained
11 Questionnaires

  • Replaced Screening CMD by SSQ in Zimbabwe by DASS-21 in study
12 Counseling skills

  • Retained
13 FB cards

  • Retained
14 Emotions

  • Retained
15 Stabilization

  • Retained
16 Strong emotional reactions

  • Retained
17 Men’s health-seeking behaviors

  • Retained
18 Suicide assessment

  • Replaced suicide assessment of SSQ by the suicide assessment of the study in Vietnam
19 Supervision

  • Changed monitor titles to the study staffs in Vietnam
20 Home visits

  • Removed completely
21 Group circle

  • Removed completely
22 Self-care

  • Retained
23 Proverbs

  • Removed completely
N/A Training overview

  • Changed training curriculum from 8 days to 5 days. Rewrote new training program according to the virtual format
N/A Shona training material

  • Removed completely
N/A Others

  • Rewrote the illustrative examples taking information from the qualitative research of step 3 and making it specific to the study population and Vietnamese culture

  • Removed the instructions for using the tablet from the original document because the study in Vietnam used paper-based manual materials

aN/A: not applicable.

bCMD: common mental disorder.

cSSQ: Shona Symptoms Questionnaire.

dDASS-21: Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 items.

eART: antiretroviral therapy.

fMMT: methadone maintenance treatment.