Young people aged 12–24 across Kenya, South Africa and other African countries face high levels of depression and anxiety, but many of them are undiagnosed or poorly diagnosed, leading to inadequate care and poor outcomes. Existing diagnostic tools are lengthy, resource-intensive, and not tailored to individual needs, which reduces their applicability in busy real-life clinical settings. To address this gap, the African Computerized Adaptive Test (AfriCAT) is being developed as a culturally relevant, youth-centred digital tool designed to assess mental health in ways that are accessible, practical and meaningful.
The study will involve young people directly in the design and testing of AfriCAT through two interactive workshops. In the first workshop, participants will share their perspectives on mental health, indicate preferred tool features through short activities, and complete a brief survey to inform the development of the prototype. In the second workshop, participants will try out the prototype, provide feedback on its usability and relevance, and complete questionnaires assessing its acceptability, appropriateness, and practicality. Their insights will guide the final refinement of the tool.
