Depression and academic outcomes following school-based Interpersonal Group Therapy among primary school students in Uganda
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Adolescent depression is a major public health concern in low- and middle-income countries and is associated with impaired school engagement and performance. School-based mental health interventions may provide an accessible strategy for addressing depression while supporting educational outcomes, but evidence from low-resource settings remains limited. This pre-post evaluation examined changes in depressive symptoms, school attendance, and academic performance among Ugandan adolescents receiving teacher-facilitated Interpersonal Group Therapy (IPT-G), and explored factors associated with follow-up outcomes. We analysed data from 686 adolescents aged 10–19 years who received IPT-G in Ugandan primary schools. Depression severity was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Educational outcomes were school attendance (%) and academic rank percentile. Baseline-to-follow-up changes were estimated using regression models with standard errors adjusted for clustering at therapy group level, and multivariable linear regression examined factors associated with follow-up outcomes. Mean PHQ-9 scores declined by 11.5 points (95% CI: -11.9 to -11.1; p < 0.001), while academic rank percentile improved by 4.9 points (95% CI: 2.6 to 7.2; p < 0.001). Attendance increased by 1.6 percentage points, but not statistically significantly (95% CI: -1.1 to 4.4; p = 0.246). In adjusted models, additional sessions attended and participation in the six-week format were associated with lower follow-up PHQ-9 scores. Higher baseline academic rank and younger age were associated with better follow-up academic performance. Borderline evidence suggested depression and attendance improvement were associated with better academic performance. Findings suggest that school-based IPT-G may be associated with improved adolescent mental health and academic performance, but controlled studies are needed to establish causality.
Source: Research Square
Institutions: Columbia University, University of Alabama
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7165106863