Feasibility of Mini Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-G Mini) for Kenyan Adolescents
6 affiliations
- 1University of Nairobi Infectious and Tropical Disease (UNITID), University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- 2Department of Clinical Developmental Psychology, Vrije University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 3Department of Preventive and Promotive Health, Nairobi City County Government, Nairobi, Kenya
- 4Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- 5Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
- 6Institute for Excellence in Global Health Equity, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
Abstract
Background: Group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) has universal elements that appeal to non-Western cultural contexts, while offering flexibility for contextual adaptations, making it an intervention of choice for adolescent populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We anticipate that a shorter four-session version, which we are calling IPT-G Mini, offered to adolescents and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic, would effectively mitigate psychological distress.
Objective: The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of a short version of IPT-G among adolescents screened for depression and anxiety.
Methods: IPT-G Mini was offered by lay health workers to 40 adolescents aged 10–19 years in Nairobi, Kenya, experiencing depressive, stress, and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic during June–September 2021. Primary outcomes were a reduction in depression and psychological distress on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression, and Kessler Psychological Distress (K10) scales.
Findings: The intervention was effective, with a significant reduction in psychological distress (K10) and depression (PHQ-9) scores at the end of the intervention (with p < 0.05), Cohen’s d = 0.49 (95% C.I. = 0.04–0.94) and d = 0.51 (95% C.I. = 0.06–0.96), respectively. Younger participants (10–14 years) had better outcomes than older ones on K10 and PHQ-9 assessments.
Conclusions: IPT-G Mini must be tested in a more controlled setting with a larger and more diverse sample. It does appear to reduce distress and depressive symptoms, and further evaluation may be needed to refine the adapted version. Despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, the timely and effective intervention focused on interpersonal issues proved beneficial to participants. Addressing various problem areas helped provide perspective and support in dealing with multiple losses and socioeconomic hardships experienced by our young participants.
Related
- Depression–Mindfulness Profiles and Transitions among Adolescents Receiving Animal Assisted Group Psychotherapy
- Glycaemic outcomes of three months of continuous glucose monitoring in children, adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes at a Kenyan tertiary hospital: a single-arm prospective study.
- Mapping Adolescents’ Experiences with Depression and Psychotherapy Using A Mixed-Methods Approach to Tailor Youth Assessment
- Protocol for a parallel-group superiority randomized controlled trial comparing Sage- a couple psychotherapy- to supportive individual psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder.
- The probabilistic dependency patterns between interpersonal emotion regulation and prosocial behavior in Chinese adolescents: insights from Gaussian Graphical and Bayesian Network Models.
BibTeX
@article{yator2026feasibility,
title = {{Feasibility of Mini Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-G Mini) for Kenyan Adolescents}},
author = {Obadia Yator and Shillah M. Mwavua and Albert Tele and Joseph Kathono and Vincent Nyongesa and Nabila Amin and Manasi Kumar},
journal = {Annals of global health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.5334/aogh.5286},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13722013},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Feasibility of Mini Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-G Mini) for Kenyan Adolescents
AU - Obadia Yator
AU - Shillah M. Mwavua
AU - Albert Tele
AU - Joseph Kathono
AU - Vincent Nyongesa
AU - Nabila Amin
AU - Manasi Kumar
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Annals of global health
DO - 10.5334/aogh.5286
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13722013
AB - Background: Group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) has universal elements that appeal to non-Western cultural contexts, while offering flexibility for contextual adaptations, making it an intervention of choice for adolescent populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We anticipate that a shorter four-session version, which we are calling IPT-G Mini, offered to adolescents and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic, would effectively mitigate psychological distress. Objective: The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of a short version of IPT-G among adolescents screened for depression and anxiety. Methods: IPT-G Mini was offered by lay health workers to 40 adolescents aged 10–19 years in Nairobi, Kenya, experiencing depressive, stress, and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic during June–September 2021. Primary outcomes were a reduction in depression and psychological distress on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression, and Kessler Psychological Distress (K10) scales. Findings: The intervention was effective, with a significant reduction in psychological distress (K10) and depression (PHQ-9) scores at the end of the intervention (with p < 0.05), Cohen’s d = 0.49 (95% C.I. = 0.04–0.94) and d = 0.51 (95% C.I. = 0.06–0.96), respectively. Younger participants (10–14 years) had better outcomes than older ones on K10 and PHQ-9 assessments. Conclusions: IPT-G Mini must be tested in a more controlled setting with a larger and more diverse sample. It does appear to reduce distress and depressive symptoms, and further evaluation may be needed to refine the adapted version. Despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, the timely and effective intervention focused on interpersonal issues proved beneficial to participants. Addressing various problem areas helped provide perspective and support in dealing with multiple losses and socioeconomic hardships experienced by our young participants.
SN - 2214-9996
ER -