Friendship Bench for Women Who Use Methamphetamine in Vietnam

Friendship Bench for Women Who Use Methamphetamine in Vietnam

The high comorbidity of mental health issues and meth use in women worsens both their mental health and meth use outcomes. The study team proposes to evaluate the potential of Friendship Bench to be used as a low-threshold, task-shifting mental health intervention among women who use methamphetamine in Vietnam - a lower-middle-income country. The study will provide preliminary data for a R01 trial testing the effectiveness Friendship Bench to improve mental health and methamphetamine use outcomes among women who use methamphetamine in Vietnam.

The specific aims of this research proposal are to: (1) assess the mental health needs of WWUM in Haiphong, (2) adapt Friendship Bench to the specific needs of Vietnamese WWUM and (3) assess the feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability of the adapted Friendship Bench for common mental disorders among WWUM and preliminary indicators of its impact in improving their mental health and methamphetamine use in a two-arm randomized trial, comparing Friendship Bench with usual psychiatric care.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult women (>=18 years old)
• Moderate or greater risk for meth use (ASSIST ≥ 4)
• Moderate or greater CMD symptom severity (Depression ≥ 10, Anxiety ≥ 8, and/or Stress ≥ 15 on DASS-21)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe psychotic disorders or other interfering problems that require specialty care;
• Inability to understand study procedures by the research team's judgment.