Acceptance, Utilization, and Outcomes of Digital Mental Health Platforms for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Displaced Youth in Southern Sudan: A Meta-Analysis Six Months Post-Deployment

Digital mental health platforms have shown promise in addressing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among displaced youth in Southern Sudan. A systematic review and meta-analysis approach was employed to synthesize data from existing studies conducted in Lesotho. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria and analysed using a random-effects model. The analysis revealed that the majority of participants (75%) accepted digital mental health platforms, with an average utilization rate of 42% over the six-month period. Digital mental health platforms were found to be effective in improving PTSD symptoms among displaced youth in Southern Sudan, though further research is needed to validate these findings across diverse contexts. Future studies should explore long-term outcomes and identify factors influencing platform acceptance and utilization. Policy recommendations include integrating digital solutions into existing healthcare systems for wider accessibility. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.