ArticleJMIR research protocols2026
Measurement-Based Mental Health Care for Adolescents in Africa: Protocol for a Computerized Adaptive Test.
Article in JMIR research protocols, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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15 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Adolescent mental health care is constrained not only by limited treatment capacity but also by the absence of precise and efficient tools to identify and triage those in need. Measurement-based mental health care relies on standardized assessments to guide identification, treatment selection, and ongoing monitoring of mental disorders. However, conventional assessments present a trade-off: diagnostic interviews lack feasibility at scale, while brief screening tools result in misclassification and suboptimal allocation of limited mental health resources. Computerized adaptive testing addresses this trade-off by dynamically tailoring assessments to individuals, maximizing measurement precision while minimizing assessment burden. Despite these advances, no adaptive assessment for adolescent mental health has been developed or calibrated using African data. Objective: The AfriCAT study aims to develop and internally validate a precision computerized adaptive assessment of adolescent depression and anxiety using nationally representative Kenyan data, with the longer-term goal of supporting measurement-based mental health care across diverse African contexts. Methods: AfriCAT is a mixed methods study integrating psychometric modeling, adaptive simulation, modular clinical decision support networks, participatory workshops, discrete choice experiments (DCEs), and stakeholder interviews. Results: Ethical approval has been obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical) at the University of the Witwatersrand and the Aga Khan University Institutional Scientific and Ethics Review Committee. Data preparation and model development are underway. Participatory workshops and DCEs are ongoing. Simulation-based validation and prototype refinement will follow. Conclusions: AfriCAT aims to develop the first adaptive mental health assessment calibrated using nationally representative African adolescent data. By integrating precision psychometrics with participatory co-design, the study seeks to enable more accurate triage and support scalable, measurement-based adolescent mental health care in resource-constrained settings.
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