Mental health support for pregnant and postpartum women living with HIV in Kenya
Official title: Integration of a collaborative care model for mental health services into HIV care for pregnant and postpartum women in Kenya (the Tunawiri Study)
Funded at University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11386164 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project brings team-based mental health care into antenatal and postpartum HIV clinics in Kenya to help women with depression, anxiety, and staying on HIV treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $246,232 |
| NIH project number | 3R01MH133260-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11386164 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant or postpartum women living with HIV who attend participating antenatal or HIV clinics in Kenya and who have symptoms of depression or anxiety are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Women who are not living with HIV, who do not attend participating clinics in Kenya, or who need urgent specialist psychiatric care for severe mental illness may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you take part, you'll get team-based mental health care delivered as part of your regular antenatal or HIV clinic visits, including support from peer mentor mothers, a behavioral care manager, psychiatric nurses, and a consulting psychiatrist. Care will include a low-intensity, evidence-based counseling called problem-solving therapy and actions to address stigma and partner violence. The program will be introduced in phases using the EPIS implementation framework and clinic teams will track mental health, HIV care engagement, and costs. The goal is to make the service part of routine care so it can be sustained without extra clinic visits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could improve depression and anxiety, help more women stay engaged in HIV care, and reduce the chance of viral treatment failure.
How similar studies have gone: Collaborative care models and problem-solving therapy have improved depression and HIV outcomes in prior work and the team has used related approaches in Kenyan clinics, although full integration into routine perinatal HIV care at scale is newer.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado Denver
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abuogi, Lisa Lynn — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Abuogi, Lisa Lynn
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Collaborative mental health care for HIV-positive pregnant and postpartum women in Kenya
A project tests a team-based approach to treat depression and anxiety for pregnant and new mothers with HIV in Kenya, using existing clinic staff and a low-intensity therapy.
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Collaborative mental health care for pregnant and postpartum women with HIV in Kenya
A program to bring proven mental health care into routine HIV and prenatal services for Kenyan women who are pregnant or recently postpartum and living with HIV.
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Understanding how early life experiences affect maternal mental health after childbirth
This study is looking at how good experiences in childhood and strong coping skills during pregnancy can help new moms feel better mentally after giving birth, especially for those who have dealt with a lot of stress in their lives.
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Collaborative mental health care for pregnant and new mothers with HIV in Kenya
This project will bring mental health support into regular HIV and antenatal care to help pregnant and postpartum women with HIV manage depression, anxiety, stigma, and partner violence.
-
Wearable tech to track blood loss during childbirth
A wearable device monitors cardiovascular signals to detect postpartum hemorrhage early so clinicians can act quickly to protect mothers.
-
HIV treatment and postpartum weight help after birth in South Africa
A small, patient-friendly study is testing a lay health worker–led program to support postpartum women living with HIV in staying on ART and managing weight.
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.