Testing the WeCare Intervention to Address Mental Health and Medication Adherence Challenges Among MSM in South Africa
Recruiting · NCT07226323 · Interventional (participants receive a specific treatment) · Lead sponsor: Emory University
View the official record on ClinicalTrials.gov →Interventions studied
What this trial is about
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the WeCare intervention-an adapted Friendship Bench program that integrates problem-solving therapy, minority-stress-informed content, and explicit PrEP/ART adherence skills-improves mental health and HIV medication adherence among men who have sex with men (MSM). It will also assess the safety, acceptability, and feasibility of delivering WeCare through trained lay coaches in community clinics. Main questions the trial aims to answer: * Does WeCare reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety among MSM? * Does WeCare improve PrEP and ART adherence and increase rates of viral suppression among participants on ART? * Is WeCare acceptable, feasible, and safe when delivered by lay coaches in POP INN clinics compared with usual care?
Who can take part
Inclusion criteria
- Male
- reports sexual intercourse with a man in the past 6 months
- reside in the Johannesburg metropolitan area with no plans to relocate during the next 6 months
- ability to communicate in English
- current prescription for any ART regimen (HIV-positive participants) or daily oral PrEP (HIV-negative participants) at the POP INN clinic.
- HIV positive participant only: unsuppressed HIV viral load (HIV-1 RNA viral load ≥200 copies/mL) in the sample collected in the past six months
- HIV negative participants only: Self-reported challenges adhering to daily oral PrEP (i.e miss 3 or more tablets per week)
- Moderate symptoms of depression during past 2 weeks (score on the PHQ-9 ≥10 and \<20)
- Ability to understand and provide informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
- Presently engaged in mental health therapy.
- Participated in qualitative phase of WeCare study (AUR2-18-419) or open-pilot (present study).
- Refuses audio recording of the in-person or online individual counselling session
Where it is running
1 location listed.
- Aurum Institute - Johannesburg, South Africa