K43TW012632
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Integration of mental health services in HIV care for adolescents and youth in Kenya - Project summary/abstract
Common mental disorders like depression, anxiety and trauma disproportionately affect adolescents and youth with HIV (AYH), and are associated with antiretroviral treatment (ART) non-adherence and poor viral suppression.
The integration of mental health services in HIV care for AYH is recommended.
However, there are gaps in integrated mental health assessments, care and referral to mental health specialists.
Non-specialist providers form the bulk of providers in HIV clinics.
In previous studies, they reported limited competence to comprehensively assess and manage mental disorders, heavy workloads and few mental health specialists in the clinics.
There is an urgent need for implementation strategies to support consistent assessments, treatment and an effective interface between the HIV clinic and mental health specialists.
Regarding treatment for mental disorders within the HIV clinic, adaptation and evaluation of the treatments is required considering the unique HIV care context before implementation work is relevant.
In this project, we propose to develop, pilot and cost implementation strategies for integrating assessments and effective referrals for common mental conditions among AYH ages 15-24 years.
Aim 1 will identify barriers and facilitators for integrated assessments and successful referral of AYH in need to specialists.
We will conduct focus group discussions with providers and AYH, and in-depth interviews with mental health specialists, HIV program and policy leaders in Kenya.
Aim 2 will identify strategies that address barriers to the implementation of assessments for common mental disorders, and successful referral for those in need to specialists.
We will hold two stakeholder workshops with providers, mental health specialists, program leaders, AYHIV and their caregivers.
They will validate barriers and conduct barrier prioritization using novel methods that allow stakeholder collaboration in assessing barrier criticality, ubiquity, frequency and equity.
Using implementation roadmaps, we will match strategies to prioritized barriers, specifying the causal chain from implementation strategy to implementation outcomes.
Aim 3 will determine whether the strategies identified improve implementation of assessments and successful referral to specialists for those in need.
We will pilot two top-rated implementation strategies in 6 HIV clinics, and assess their effect on reach of the assessments and successful referral of AYH using an interrupted series design, fidelity of assessments and acceptability of the strategies.
Further, we will conduct a time-driven, activity-based micro-costing analysis to inform the scale-up of the implementation strategy by the HIV program, and assess contextual determinants of implementation with providers and AYHIV.
This research matches with Dr. Mugo’s training goals to build competence in advanced implementation science methods, qualitative and mixed methods, stakeholder engagement methods and economic evaluation, and skills in scientific leadership in order to transition to an independent research career that advances high quality mental health care for AYH.
Common mental disorders like depression, anxiety and trauma disproportionately affect adolescents and youth with HIV (AYH), and are associated with antiretroviral treatment (ART) non-adherence and poor viral suppression.
The integration of mental health services in HIV care for AYH is recommended.
However, there are gaps in integrated mental health assessments, care and referral to mental health specialists.
Non-specialist providers form the bulk of providers in HIV clinics.
In previous studies, they reported limited competence to comprehensively assess and manage mental disorders, heavy workloads and few mental health specialists in the clinics.
There is an urgent need for implementation strategies to support consistent assessments, treatment and an effective interface between the HIV clinic and mental health specialists.
Regarding treatment for mental disorders within the HIV clinic, adaptation and evaluation of the treatments is required considering the unique HIV care context before implementation work is relevant.
In this project, we propose to develop, pilot and cost implementation strategies for integrating assessments and effective referrals for common mental conditions among AYH ages 15-24 years.
Aim 1 will identify barriers and facilitators for integrated assessments and successful referral of AYH in need to specialists.
We will conduct focus group discussions with providers and AYH, and in-depth interviews with mental health specialists, HIV program and policy leaders in Kenya.
Aim 2 will identify strategies that address barriers to the implementation of assessments for common mental disorders, and successful referral for those in need to specialists.
We will hold two stakeholder workshops with providers, mental health specialists, program leaders, AYHIV and their caregivers.
They will validate barriers and conduct barrier prioritization using novel methods that allow stakeholder collaboration in assessing barrier criticality, ubiquity, frequency and equity.
Using implementation roadmaps, we will match strategies to prioritized barriers, specifying the causal chain from implementation strategy to implementation outcomes.
Aim 3 will determine whether the strategies identified improve implementation of assessments and successful referral to specialists for those in need.
We will pilot two top-rated implementation strategies in 6 HIV clinics, and assess their effect on reach of the assessments and successful referral of AYH using an interrupted series design, fidelity of assessments and acceptability of the strategies.
Further, we will conduct a time-driven, activity-based micro-costing analysis to inform the scale-up of the implementation strategy by the HIV program, and assess contextual determinants of implementation with providers and AYHIV.
This research matches with Dr. Mugo’s training goals to build competence in advanced implementation science methods, qualitative and mixed methods, stakeholder engagement methods and economic evaluation, and skills in scientific leadership in order to transition to an independent research career that advances high quality mental health care for AYH.
Awardee
Funding Goals
THE JOHN E. FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER (FIC) SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING TO REDUCE DISPARITIES IN GLOBAL HEALTH AND TO FOSTER PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN U.S. SCIENTISTS AND THEIR COUNTERPARTS ABROAD. FIC SUPPORTS BASIC BIOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH, AS WELL AS RELATED RESEARCH TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT. THE RESEARCH PORTFOLIO IS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT A WIDE VARIETY OF FUNDING MECHANISMS TO MEET PROGRAMMATIC OBJECTIVES.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding Agency
Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Kenya
Geographic Scope
Foreign
Related Opportunity
Analysis Notes
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 434% from $50,000 to $266,900.
Kenyatta National Hospital was awarded
Integrating Mental Health Services for Adolescents with HIV in Kenya
Project Grant K43TW012632
worth $266,900
from the National Institute of Mental Health in September 2024 with work to be completed primarily in Kenya.
The grant
has a duration of 5 years and
was awarded through assistance program 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity Emerging Global Leader Award (K43 Independent Clinical Trial Required).
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 8/20/25
Period of Performance
9/1/24
Start Date
8/31/29
End Date
Funding Split
$266.9K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$266.9K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Transaction History
Modifications to K43TW012632
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
K43TW012632
SAI Number
K43TW012632-4023628241
Award ID URI
SAI UNAVAILABLE
Awardee Classifications
State Government
Awarding Office
75NF00 NIH Fogarty International Center
Funding Office
75N700 NIH National Institute of Mental Health
Awardee UEI
MNBXRN3T8LD9
Awardee CAGE
SEV19
Performance District
Not Applicable
Modified: 8/20/25