Use of the creating opportunities for parent empowerment programme to decrease mental health problems in Ugandan children surviving severe malaria: a randomized controlled trial

Malaria Journal

John M. Ssenkusu¹  Annet Birabwa²  Richard Idro³  Maria Kroupina⁴  Mary Nyakato⁵  Seggane Musisi⁵  Paul Bangirana⁵  Ann J. Nakitende⁵  Noeline Nakasujja⁵  Chandy C. John⁶ 

[1] Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda;Department of Mental Health and Community Psychology, Makerere University College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kampala, Uganda;Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda;Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA;Department of Psychiatry, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda;Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA;

关键词: Severe malaria;    Behavioural problems;    Mental health;    Caregiver training;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12936-021-03795-y

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSevere malaria is associated with long-term mental health problems in Ugandan children. This study investigated the effect of a behavioural intervention for caregivers of children admitted with severe malaria, on the children’s mental health outcomes 6 months after discharge.MethodsThis randomized controlled trial was conducted at Naguru Hospital in Kampala, Uganda from January 2018 to July 2019. Caregiver and child dyads were randomly assigned to either a psycho-educational arm providing information about hospital procedures during admission (control group), or to a behavioural arm providing information about the child’s possible emotions and behaviour during and after admission, and providing age appropriate games for the caregiver and child (intervention group). Pre- and post-intervention assessments for caregiver anxiety and depression (Hopkins Symptom Checklist) and child mental health problems (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Child Behaviour Checklist) were done during admission and 6 months after discharge, respectively. T-tests, analysis of covariance, Chi-Square, and generalized estimating equations were used to compare outcomes between the two treatment arms.ResultsThere were 120 caregiver-child dyads recruited at baseline with children aged 1.45 to 4.89 years (mean age 2.85 years, SD = 1.01). The intervention and control groups had similar sociodemographic, clinical and behavioural characteristics at baseline. Caregiver depression at baseline, mother’s education and female child were associated with behavioural problems in the child at baseline (p < 0.05). At 6 months follow-up, there was no difference in the frequency of behavioural problems between the groups (6.8% vs. 10% in intervention vs control groups, respectively, p = 0.72). Caregiver depression and anxiety scores between the treatment arms did not differ at 6 months follow-up.ConclusionThis behavioural intervention for caregivers and their children admitted with severe malaria had no effect on the child’s mental health outcomes at 6 months. Further studies need to develop interventions for mental health problems after severe malaria in children with longer follow-up time.Trail registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03432039

【 授权许可】

CC BY