Effectiveness of non-medical health worker-led counselling on psychological distress: a randomized controlled trial in rural Nepal.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An essential strategy to increase coverage of psychosocial treatments globally is task shifting to non-medical counsellors, but evidence on its effectiveness is still scarce. This study evaluates the effectiveness of lay psychosocial counselling among persons with psychological distress in a primary health care setting in rural Nepal.

Methods

A parallel randomized controlled trial in Dang, rural Nepal (NCT03544450). Persons aged 16 and older attending primary care and with a General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) score of 6 or more were randomized (1:1) to receive either non-medical psychosocial counselling (PSY) or enhanced usual care (EUC). PSY was provided by lay persons with a 6-month training and consisted of 5-weekly counselling sessions of 35-60 min with a c

SUBMITTER: Markkula N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6669965 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature