Common mental disorders are highly prevalent among people living with HIV. Left untreated, common mental disorders cause substantial disability and undermine individuals' ability to adhere to antiretroviral therapy, leading to poor antiretroviral therapy outcomes.~A recent cluster-randomized controlled trial from Harare, Zimbabwe showed that the friendship bench intervention (i.e. six sessions of problem-solving therapy delivered by lay health workers followed by a peer support group) effectively reduced symptoms of common mental disorders, but the effect of the intervention on antiretroviral therapy outcomes and its effectiveness in the rural setting has not been studied.~To examine the effect of the friendship bench intervention on antiretroviral therapy outcomes and symptoms of common mental disorders among adults living with HIV and common mental disorders in rural Zimbabwe, a cluster-randomized trial is conducted.
The aim of the study is to examine the effect of a psychological intervention on antiretroviral therapy outcomes and symptoms of common mental health disorders among adults living with HIV and common mental disorders in rural Zimbabwe.