Development and Evaluation of a Digital Mental Health Intervention for Urban Senegalese Adolescents in Zambia

Urban Senegalese adolescents in Zambia face significant mental health challenges due to socioeconomic disparities and cultural factors. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including qualitative interviews (n=20) to inform the design of the digital platform and quantitative assessments (n=150) to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing symptoms of mental distress. The digital intervention showed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms (p < 0.001; 95% CI [−2.3, −0.8]) among participants compared to the control group. The digital platform effectively reduced mental health distress in urban Senegalese adolescents, warranting further implementation and research. Further studies should explore scalability and long-term efficacy of this intervention across diverse settings. Urban Adolescents, Digital Mental Health, Zambia, Senegal, Reduction of Depression Symptoms