Building the foundation: Training, stakeholder engagement, and planning for Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA)...

Area of Science:

• Implementation science
• Global mental health
• Behavioral health interventions

Background:

• Scalable behavioral health interventions require early and continuous stakeholder involvement.
• The Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) is a transdiagnostic mental health intervention.
• Implementation research is crucial for adapting and scaling interventions in diverse settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand and document the process of planning and rolling out CETA in Uganda.
• To explore the role of multilevel stakeholder engagement in intervention implementation.
• To identify foundational conditions for scalability of behavioral health interventions in low-resource settings.

Main Methods:

• The study utilized the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) 2.0.
• In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 multilevel stakeholders in Western Uganda.
• Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews was performed using Dedoose.

Main Results:

• Multilevel stakeholder engagement facilitated strategic decision-making and program integration.
• Ministry of Health endorsement and leadership were instrumental in CETA rollout.
• Training, adaptation of content, and ongoing supervision supported intervention delivery and fidelity.

Conclusions:

• Stakeholder engagement acts as an implementation strategy, building local infrastructures for sustainable interventions.
• The study provides a replicable model for scaling behavioral health interventions in low-resource contexts.
• Continued engagement is essential for refining CETA and integrating it into national mental health strategies.