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CompletedNCT05365503Updated Feb 2, 2023

Dissemination Strategies and Implementation Outcomes of Adolescent Character Strength Interventions.

An interventional study of Shamiri Intervention in Mental Health Disorder, sponsored by Shamiri Institute. Completed at 3 sites in Kenya. Open to participants aged 12 Years to 21 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-02-02.

Sponsored by Shamiri Institute · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
3,000
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
12 Years to 21 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The present research study will involve investigating the efficacy of large-scale dissemination models of evidence-based character strength interventions in secondary schools in Kenya. This intervention, derived from a previously tested intervention named Shamiri, or thrive in Kiswahili, uses positive psychology and accessible life skills to build individual resilience and wellness. This will be a one-arm trial with participants recruited from 20 secondary schools in Nairobi, Kiambu and Makueni counties. The investigators estimate a sample size of 3000 youth, working on an intention to treat basis. All interested participants will be admitted to the program, with no exclusion criteria applied. The investigators will report on the efficacy of character strength interventions on wellbeing and mental health outcomes. Further, the investigators will also assess the scalability and acceptability of the program post intervention. Additionally, the investigators will examine moderator effects on the participants, baseline attributes of the participants, and potentially the effects of candidate mediators on intervention effects.

Read the detailed description

This is a dissemination study whose objective is to explore the effectiveness, acceptability, and scalability of the Shamiri intervention when implemented in a large-scale naturalistic dissemination study in Kenyan secondary schools. Specifically, this study has two broad goals: 1) to test the effectiveness of Shamiri on mental health and psychosocial outcomes when delivered naturalistically on a large scale through either a centralized and de-centralized (train the trainers) administration, and 2) to examine and measure outcomes of these large-scale dissemination models.

For goal 1, participants will receive Shamiri directly through the Shamiri team or through an implementation partner. The investigators will measure mental health and psychosocial outcomes to determine if these outcomes compare to those reported in prior RCTs of Shamiri. The investigators hypothesize that participants receiving Shamiri will experience similar improvements in mental health and psychosocial outcomes as reported in previous RCTs. The investigators don't have a priori hypothesis on whether the mode through which the participants receive the intervention will affect intervention outcomes.

To achieve goal 2, investigators measure the following implementation related outcomes: intervention fidelity, cost, sustainment, acceptability, penetration, and cost-effectiveness. The investigators hypothesize that the Shamiri intervention will achieve high ratings in all intervention outcomes.

02

Conditions studied

  • Mental Health Disorder

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Keywords

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
03

In context

Mental Disorders

2,107 studies on the registry are indexed under Mental Disorders; 416 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 3,000 is above the median of 94 across 1,574 interventional studies indexed under Mental Disorders.

Browse Mental Disorders studies →

Lead sponsor

Shamiri Institute is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
12 Years to 21 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants must be high school students in one of the selected schools.
  • Participants must be between the ages of 12 to 21.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • There will be no other exclusion criteria.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
3,000 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Shamiri Intervention

    The Shamiri intervention group will recieve a brief character strength intervention that will be delivered over the span of 4 weeks. There will be four sessions each lasting one hour each.

    Other: Shamiri Intervention

Interventions

  • OtherShamiri Intervention

    The first two sessions focus on the concept of growth mindset, the third session focuses on gratitude, and the fourth and final session focuses on values. In session one, participants are guided through a Growth mindset intervention designed to convey the idea that people and their situations can change for the better. In session two, group leaders introduce a discussion and activities about effective strategies for growth. Then, the group leaders introduce a framework for problem solving. In session three, group leaders emphasize the importance of verbalizing and consciously thinking about Gratitude, as well as its benefits for well-being. In the final session, participants are introduced to the concept of values. Participants discuss stories of culturally pertinent role models, with an emphasis on the values these individuals display, and how their values guided their life decisions and led to success and happiness.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in anxiety symptoms from baseline to 1-month follow up

    Self-reported anxiety symptoms, measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener

    Time frame: Baseline, 2-week mid-point, 4-week end-point, and 1-month follow-up

  2. Change in depression symptoms from baseline to 1-month follow up

    Self-reported depression symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire - 8

    Time frame: Baseline, 2-week mid-point, 4-week end-point, and 1-month follow-up

  3. Change in perceived social support from baseline to 1-month follow up

    Self-reported sense of social support, measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, with a score range of 0-7, with higher scores indicating greater perception of social support

    Time frame: Baseline, 2-week mid-point, 4-week end-point, and 1-month follow-up

  4. Change in self-reported well-being from baseline to 1-month follow up

    Self-reported wellbeing, as measured by the Engagement, Perseverance, Optimism, Connectedness and Happiness Measure of Adolescent Well-Being, with a score range of 1-5, higher scores meaning better well-being

    Time frame: Baseline, 2-week mid-point, 4-week end-point, and 1-month follow-up

  5. Change in academic performance from baseline to 1-month follow up

    Academic performance, as measured by the average grade achieved from the school term before the intervention, the school term during which the intervention takes place, and the last term for which academic grades are available.

    Time frame: Baseline (academic term pre-intervention) and up to 1-month post intervention

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in self-reported secondary control from baseline to 1-month follow up

    Self-reported participant sense of secondary control, or the ability to adjust oneself to hardships in such a way as to control their subjective emotional impact, measured by the 6-item short form of the Secondary Control Scale for Children (score range of 0-18, higher scores indicating greater perceived secondary control)

    Time frame: Baseline, 2-week mid-point, 4-week end-point, and 1-month follow-up

  2. Change in sense of meaning and purpose in life from baseline to 1-month follow up

    Self-reported sense of purpose and meaning in life, as measured by the Purpose in Life Scale-12, with a score range of 20-140, higher scores indicating greater perceived meaning in life

    Time frame: Baseline, 2-week mid-point, 4-week end-point, and 1-month follow-up

  3. Change in gratitude from baseline to 1-month follow up

    Self-reported gratitude, measured by a 6-item version of the Gratitude Questionnaire, with a score range of 6-48, with higher scores indicating higher gratitude

    Time frame: Baseline, 2-week mid-point, 4-week end-point, and 1-month follow-up

  4. Change in perceived control from baseline to 1-month follow up

    Self-reported sense of control over oneself and one's life, measured by the Perceived Control Scale for Children, with a score range of 0-24, with a higher score indicating higher perception of control over one's life

    Time frame: Baseline, 2-week mid-point, 4-week end-point, and 1-month follow-up

  5. Change in mental well-being from baseline to 1-month follow up

    Self-reported mental well-being of participants measured by the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS), with a score range of 7-35, higher scores indicating higher positive mental well-being

    Time frame: Baseline, 2-week mid-point, 4-week end-point, and 1-month follow-up

07

Study locations

3 sites
  • Shamiri Institute
    Kiambu, Central Province, Kenya
  • Africa Mental health Research and Training Foundation
    Makueni, Eastern Province, Kenya
  • Shamiri Institute
    Nairobi, Kenya
08

References and documents

Study documents

  • Informed consent form · Apr 12, 2022

Documents are hosted by the registry — open the source record to download them.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — The investigators intend to share fully de-identified data through publications and upon request.

Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap, Icf, Analytic code

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 2, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05365503
Lead sponsor
Shamiri Institute
Collaborators
Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation, Harvard University, Kenyatta University, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 9, 2022
Start date
May 16, 2022
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2022
Completion
Oct 31, 2022
Last update
Feb 2, 2023

Study contacts

Tom L Osborn
principal investigator · Shamiri Institute

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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