Trial results for a study investigating adolescent depression screening and treatment in Mozambican primary care were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-02-27, reporting that Treatment as Usual (TAU) led to a mean 54.0% reduction in PHQ-A scores.
Background
Depression in adolescents is a significant public health concern globally, impacting mental well-being and development. In resource-limited settings like Mozambique, access to effective mental health screening and treatment can be particularly challenging. Integrating mental health services into existing primary care structures, such as Youth-friendly Health Services (YFHS), offers a promising approach to improve accessibility. This study explored the implementation of depression screening and treatment strategies within such settings to address the unmet needs of adolescents with depression.
Trial design
This completed study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 95 participants to investigate conditions including Depression and Adolescent Behavior. It was a cluster-randomized pilot trial of depression screening and treatment implementation at four Youth-friendly Health Services (YFHS) in primary care clinics in Maputo City and Maputo Province. YFHS were stratified by urbanicity, with one YFHS in each location randomized to Interpersonal Therapy for Adolescents (IPT)-A and the other to Treatment as Usual (TAU).
Key results
The trial reported key measurements related to the change in PHQ-A score from baseline to 6 months post-intervention and IPT-AG fidelity:
- Change in PHQ-A Score From Baseline to 6 Months Post-intervention (percent change):
- For the Interpersonal Therapy for Adolescents (IPT-AG) group, a mean change of -35.9 (Standard Deviation 4.52) was observed.
- For the Treatment as Usual (TAU) group, a mean change of -54.0 (Standard Deviation 8.5) was observed.
- IPT-AG Fidelity (score on a scale):
- For the Interpersonal Therapy for Adolescents (IPT-AG) group, a mean score of 1.3 (Standard Deviation 0.56) was observed.
What this means
The posted results provide initial data on the effectiveness of two approaches to adolescent depression treatment in Mozambican primary care. Notably, the Treatment as Usual (TAU) group showed a greater mean reduction in PHQ-A scores (-54.0%) compared to the Interpersonal Therapy for Adolescents (IPT-AG) group (-35.9%). This finding suggests that, in this pilot setting, existing primary care practices (TAU) may have achieved a more substantial symptomatic improvement than the specific IPT-AG intervention as implemented. The fidelity score for IPT-AG provides context on the implementation quality of that intervention. These findings contribute to understanding the impact of different treatment strategies for adolescent depression in this specific context and warrant further investigation.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT05476237, titled "Adolescent Depression Screening and Treatment in Mozambican Primary Care", were posted on 2026-02-27 on clinicaltrials.gov.