LEAD Trial: Testing Peer-Delivered Therapy to Improve Father Mental Health and Family Well-Being
CURRENT PROJECT
OVERVIEW
This hybrid type 1 study tests Learn, Engage, Act, Dedicate (LEAD), a brief, five-session psychosocial intervention designed for fathers in Eldoret, Kenya in a pilot randomized control trial (n=102). LEAD integrates behavioral activation, motivational interviewing, and discussions of masculinity, and is delivered by peer-father counselors. Fathers at risk for depression and alcohol use, conditions strongly linked to family conflict and youth mental health problems, are randomized 2 to 1 to LEAD or a waitlist control. It is a hybrid type-1 effectiveness-implementation study, evaluating changes in clinical outcomes while also assessing implementation outcomes.
ELDORET, KENYA
Project Goals
EVALUATE EFFECTIVENESS
Explore preliminary effectiveness of LEAD on fathers’ depressive symptoms and alcohol use (primary), and parenting, couple functioning, and child mental health (secondary).
IDENTIFY METHODS
Use mixed methods to explore mechanisms driving possible changes in father mental health, father parenting, and child mental health.
EXPLORE IMPACT
Explore feasibility and acceptability of implementing peer-delivered mental health treatment for fathers in a low-resource setting.
Turning Community Insight Into Measurable Impact
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Fathers’ depression and alcohol use harm families and youth, yet men rarely access care. LEAD, a peer-father delivered intervention, offers a scalable, culturally grounded approach to improve men’s mental health, strengthen families, and support youth well-being.
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Explore fathers’ mental health as a path to improving family functioning and reducing intergenerational mental health risks.
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Giusto, A., Jaguga°, F., Korir, M. °, Aburi, D.°, Greenlee, M. (2025). Hybrid-Type I Task-Shared Pilot Randomized Control Protocol: An intervention for father depression, alcohol use, and family engagement in Kenya. PLOS One.