Multi-level Child Mental Health Interventions in Azerbaijan

To improve mental health outcomes among children aged 7-14 from low-income families in Azerbaijan, this study will refine and test three evidence-based intervention approaches: family-strengthening intervention; trauma-focused mental health services; and economic empowerment in the form of Child Savings Accounts.

Based on prior research on the mental health of deinstitutionalized children conducted by this U.S.-Azerbaijani team in collaboration with a local Community Collaborative Board, these intervention components have been adapted to maximize fit to the cultural context of Azerbaijan. In this study, the adapted interventions will be tested with 600 child-caregiver dyads in a trial using the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) to compare different intervention components and identify the most optimal combination. Given the limited human and financial resources in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), it will be important to identify whether each of these interventions is necessary and/or sufficient for improving the mental health of children.

The study will test the effects of each intervention component on children's mental health outcomes (symptoms of depression, anxiety; disruptive behaviors; post-traumatic symptoms;), on associated cognitive and social processes (e.g., attention, emotion recognition bias) and functional outcomes (e.g., academic performance). The study will also examine the mediating pathway associated with each intervention component.