Feasibility and uptake of a digital mental health intervention for depression among Lebanese and Syrian displaced people in Lebanon

A qualitative study

Datos Bibliográficos

ID22089015
AutoresJinane Abi Ramia (0000-0003-2132-1324, Ministry of Public Health, autor de correspondencia), Racha Abi Hana (0000-0001-9973-5418, Ministry of Public Health), Philip Noun (0000-0002-6909-4557, Ministry of Public Health), Pim Cuijpers (0000-0001-5497-2743, Babeș-Bolyai University), Kenneth Carswell (0000-0001-5344-5802, World Health Organization), Edith van’t Hof (World Health Organization), Edith van't Hof, Eva Heim (0000-0001-7434-7451, University of Zurich), Edwina Zoghbi (0000-0001-5060-4388, World Health Organization - Lebanon), Marit Sijbrandij (0000-0001-5430-9810, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Rabih El Chammay (0000-0002-6471-8148, Saint Joseph University)
Año2024
Volumen11
Páginas1293187-1293187
Fecha de publicación2024-01-22
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
EditorialFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2023.1293187
PMID38317685
OpenAlexW4391103668
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas33

Introduction: Digital interventions are increasingly regarded as a potential solution for the inaccessibility of mental health treatment across low-and-middle-income settings, especially for common mental disorders. Step-by-Step (SbS) is a digital, guided self-help intervention for depression found effective in two Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) in Lebanon. For research implementation and further scale-up, this paper reports the results of a qualitative evaluation of SbS among the Lebanese and others and displaced Syrians in Lebanon. Methods: Thirty-four Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) were executed with participants of the RCTs, SbS staff members, and external stakeholders. Questions garnered feedback about the feasibility, acceptability, enabling factors, and barriers to adhering to the research, implementation, and the SbS intervention. A thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo, and key themes, topics, and recommendations, on research methods and the intervention itself, were generated and reported. Results: Results showed a high level of acceptability of SbS among Lebanese and Syrians and identified sub-groups for whom acceptance or use might be lower, such as older adults and people with limited access to the internet or smartphones. Furthermore, interviews identified the main enabling factors and barriers to adherence related to the research design, content, and delivery approach. Barriers related to feasibility included lengthy assessments as part of the RCTs, and mistrust related to delays in study compensations. Other common challenges were forgetting login credentials, poor internet connection, being busy and competing needs. Enabling factors and best practices included motivating participants to use the intervention through the weekly support provided by helpers, setting an oral contract for commitment, and dividing the compensations into several installments as part of the RCTs. Recommendations regarding sustainability were given. Discussion: The findings show that overall, SbS is feasible, acceptable, and much needed in Lebanon among the Lebanese and Syrians. This assessment identifies reasons for low adherence to the research and the intervention and presents improvement solutions. Recommendations generated in this paper inform the upscale of SbS and the planning, design, and implementation of future digital interventions in research and service provision settings in the mental health field

Environmental health · Mental health · Psychiatry · Qualitative research · Sociology · Digital Mental Health Interventions · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications · Psychology · Gerontology