Integrating Depression Care Into HIV Services for Older People With HIV Using a Stepped Care, Task-Sharing Approach.

Depression levels will be compared using PHQ-9 in the Treatment as Usual arm(TAU) VS intervention arm to see if the stepped care intervention is effective in treating depression. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Needs assessment of stepped-care integration versus usual care for treating depression in older adults living with HIV? * How effective will the stepped care task-sharing (SCT) model in reducing depressive symptoms and improving HIV treatment outcomes in older PLHIV in Nigeria? Participants who screen positive for depression PHQ-9 ≥10 will be randomized into 2 arms for treatment using a systemized ballot system: TAU arm and Intervention arm. TAU arm will receive current treatment available for depression at the HIV center. Intervention arm will receive the stepped-care intervention in stages based on their symptom severity. Follow-up assessments at (6 weeks, 3months and 6 months) will be conducted by assessors who would be blinded to the different groups (TAU arm VS intervention arm).

NCT Number	NCT06894680
Lead Sponsor	Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Conditions	Older Adults (50-90 Years), Depression
Enrollment	120 participants
Start Date	2025-03-24
Primary Completion	2025-12-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-03-24 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-07-22