The ‘ABCD’ of thinking healthy

ABCD was conceptualised as a package of care to improve access to maternal depression support provided by young peer supporters living with HIV. The tool is an adaptation from the evidence-based World Health Organization (WHO) Thinking Healthy Program. This program is a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-based intervention, designed for delivery by non-specialists in low- and middle-income contexts, with proven impact on maternal depression (Rahman, 2008).

The ABCD tool addresses the psychosocial needs of young mothers living with HIV across four domains: (ASK) assessing psychosocial needs of young mothers, (BOOST) cognitive behavioural therapy group sessions based on WHO ‘Thinking Healthy’ modules, (CONNECT) linking young mothers to professional care and online resource hub, (DISCUSS) interactive chat forums between peer supporters and professional advisors.