REaCH-Resiliency Engagement and Care in Health; a Befriending Intervention to Address the Psycho-Social Challenges of Vulnerable Youth in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Trial in India

Saju Madavanakadu Devassy,Binoy Joseph,Mannooparambil K Joseph,Lorane Scaria,Natania Cheguvera,Anuja Maria Benny,Kalluparambil Kesavan Shaju

doi:10.3390/su132212920

Abstract

The study explores the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of a befriending intervention delivered by trained lay health workers to address the issues of the rural youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. We did an exploratory trial with 501 upskilled youth, where we randomly recruited 251 to the intervention group (REaCH) and 250 to the control group (General Enquiry Telephone Call-GETC). The outcome variables included in the study were depressive symptoms, wellbeing, and social support. The majority of the participants were females (64.2%), unmarried (63.55%), and hailed from economically poorer households (57.63%). The befriending intervention reduced depressive symptoms (OR: 0.95, p = 0.05) and significantly improved social support (OR: 1.03, p = 0.000) among participants in the intervention group. The participants in the intervention group had higher perceived social support from friends, families, and significant others when compared to the control group. Additionally, suicidality scores decreased for people in the intervention group from baseline to follow up; however, the results were not statistically significant. Befriending intervention is a practical, low-cost technique to sustain the youth in employment and ensure sustainable income. It inspires practitioners and policymakers to create mental health gatekeeping. The trial was registered prospectively on 27 July 2020 in Clinical Trial Registry India; ICMR-NIMS (Registration Number: CTRI/2020/07/026834).

Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic exerts a long term impact on mental health globally, given the medical, economic, and social implications the crisis has generated
Evidence shows that lower socioeconomic status is a predictor of common mental disorders [3,4,5,6], mainly due to limited access to social and health services [7] and lack of social support in the form of emotional, informational, and practical resources [2]
This paper explored the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a structured befriending intervention compared to general enquiry call intervention by the DDUGKY

Summary

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic exerts a long term impact on mental health globally, given the medical, economic, and social implications the crisis has generated. Health emergencies demand physical health interventions but fail to look at other social, emotional, and economic domains, a prerequisite for well-being [2]. Evidence shows that lower socioeconomic status is a predictor of common mental disorders [3,4,5,6], mainly due to limited access to social and health services [7] and lack of social support in the form of emotional, informational, and practical resources [2]. There is sufficient evidence to prove that strengthening social support by investing in available social networks, delivered through significant people in one’s life, promotes social, emotional, and economic outcomes [8].

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