Integrating the management of depression into routine HIV care in Uganda (the HIV+D trial)

Most of HIV care in sub-Saharan Africa does not include mental health care despite HIV/AIDS being associated with a heavy burden of mental disorders. This project aims to evaluate a model for the integration of mental health care in public HIV care services in Uganda. The proposed model will be based on the Manas intervention which is a mental health integration model that was successfully evaluated in public primary health care in India (in a non-HIV population). This study will develop and adapt the intervention to HIV care in Uganda and subject the adapted intervention to a clinical trial.

This study will be undertaken among people living with HIV attending HIV care at public health care facilities in the three study districts in central and south-western Uganda. The planned intervention will involve four steps and will be delivered by a team that will include members of the HIV care team at public health facilities and lay health workers, all supported by specialist mental health workers from referral hospitals.