An mHealth plan to tackle mental illness, high blood pressure, and HIV in Uganda
Official title: An mHealth implementation strategy to address the syndemic of mental illness, hypertension, and HIV in Uganda
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11590736 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A mobile health program is being tested to help people with HIV in Uganda manage depression, anxiety, alcohol use, and high blood pressure alongside HIV care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $90,810 |
| NIH project number | 3R33MH134565-04S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11590736 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living with HIV in Uganda (and potentially similar populations) who have or are at risk for depression, anxiety, AUD, or hypertension and have access to mobile health tools.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without access to mobile devices or those not experiencing the targeted comorbidities may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project adapts a smartphone-based tool called Medly Uganda to help detect and manage co-occurring mental health and cardiovascular issues in people living with HIV. It builds on an existing HIV/HBP integration study in Uganda and aims to address how social factors and syndemic biology influence outcomes. The approach leverages mHealth to support overburdened healthcare workers while bringing integrated care closer to patients’ everyday lives. The study is conducted in a real-world clinical setting with the goal of improving care delivery and patient well-being.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could improve detection and management of depression, anxiety, alcohol use, and hypertension among people living with HIV, leading to better overall health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous HIV/HTN integration work in Uganda informs this approach, with limited but promising signals for mHealth-enabled syndemic management.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schwartz, Jeremy Ian — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Schwartz, Jeremy Ian
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.