Feasibility and acceptability of unconditional cashtransfers intervention among unemployed youngadults with first-episode psychosis in South Africa: apilot randomized controlled trial

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dc.contributor.authorProtas, Joyce
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-23T11:45:26Z
dc.date.available2026-07-23T11:45:26Z
dc.date.issued2026-04-25
dc.description.abstractThere is a lack of high-quality evidence on cash transfers as an intervention to support young people with first-episode psychosis (FEP) in Africa. To address this gap, we conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a 3-month follow-up period to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an unconditional cash transfer (UCT) intervention among FEP. We enrolled 60 unemployed young adults (18–29 years) with FEP from three public hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, SA, and allocated participants into the intervention (n = 30) or the control arm (n = 30) using simple randomization. The intervention arm participants received a monthly transfer of R1,350 for three consecutive months. All 30 participants in the intervention arm completed the three-month follow-up, and 24 (80%) completed follow-up in the control arm. Although the effect of UCT on clinical and social outcomes is not the primary focus of this RCT, we observed significantly greater quality of life (p < 0.05) and medication adherence (p < 0.02) in the intervention group as compared to control group at the 3-month follow-up period. Although personal/social functioning challenge (p = 0.24) and cumulative relapses (p = 0.10) were greater in the control group, no statistically significant group differences were observed. Our study contributes the first evidence on UCT feasibility and acceptability for FEP.
dc.identifier.citationMlay, J., Jamieson, L., Ntlantsana, V., Gcabashe, N., Naidu, T., Bhengu, B.S., Thela, L., Paruk, S., Chiliza, B., Burns, J.K. and Lessells, R., 2026. Feasibility and acceptability of unconditional cash transfers intervention among unemployed young adults with first-episode psychosis in South Africa: a pilot randomized controlled trial. International journal of mental health, pp.1-22.
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1080/00207411.2026.2650235
dc.identifier.urihttp://kuir.ku.ac.tz:4000/handle/123456789/1579
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherRoutledge
dc.subjectAcceptability
dc.subjectfeasibility
dc.subjectFE
dc.titleFeasibility and acceptability of unconditional cashtransfers intervention among unemployed youngadults with first-episode psychosis in South Africa: apilot randomized controlled trial
dc.typeArticle

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