The Covid-19 pandemic is having a great impact on the long-term mental health and well-being. Reports on the levels of psychological distress are concerning. This can be due to the pandemic, as well as social distancing, employment and economic consequences. Healthcare workers, the elderly, youths, and persons experiencing socio-economic adversity are at risk of developing psychological distress. In this context, healthcare systems risk being overcharged, facing a growing demand. Cognitive Behaviour Therapies managing psychological distress have been formally recommended. WHO has implemented different escalated psychosocial interventions, such as Problem Management Plus, PM+; Doing What Matters in Times of Stress, DWM; and Psychological First Aid, PFA. Their aim is to help individuals manage their stress in order to decrease the occurrence of psychological problems. They do not replace care for severe mental health disorders, but can prevent the deterioration of individuals' mental health. PM+ has previously been found to be effective in situations of endemic conflict or violence in Pakistan and Kenya. The implementation of this program in Europe is being evaluated in the EU H2020 project STRENGHTS, focused in migrants from Syria. In the present trail, the investigators aim to further test its effectiveness in the context of psychological distress resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the present trial, the investigators conducted a qualitative research study among potential beneficiaries and healthcare workers to evaluate the feasibility of DWM and PM+, which showed interest in stepped-care interventions in mental health, particularly if they are technology-based (mobile phones). Our study is embedded in the larger, EU H2020 CORONAVIRUS-funded RESPOND project (Grant Agreement No 101016127). This project granted funding for a multicentric, single-blinded, randomised, controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the stepped-care DWM and PM+ program vs. Care as Usual (CAU). In France, the investigators will focus on persons experiencing socioeconomic adversity, as defined by unstable housing conditions. A recent study showed that most of them are migrants. All subjects (210) will receive PFA and CAU. In addition to PFA and CAU, the treatment group (105 subjects) will receive the intervention DWM (with or without PM+). The primary outcome will be the decrease in symptoms of anxiety and depression from baseline to two-months follow-up.
Age range
18 Years
Sex
ALL
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PHQ-ADS
Timeframe: Week 2, Week 8, Week 14, Week 22