People with lived experience of depression, along with carers and clinicians, are at the heart of the PRADA project. Their perspectives will help shape every stage of the research, ensuring that the tool reflects the real needs and experiences of those it is designed to support.

This work package will:

• Establish a Diverse Multi-Cultural Experience Panel (DIME) comprising people with lived experience from different cultural backgrounds.
• Involve patients, carers, and clinicians in project governance, developing content and dissemination strategies for others with lived-experience.
• Support the development of patient-friendly materials and contribute to the dissemination of project findings.

This work package focuses on developing an evidence-based decision support tool to personalise antidepressant treatment.

The PRADA tool will:

• Analyse data from large international clinical trials and real-world healthcare databases to identify factors that predict treatment response.
• Consider individual characteristics, such as age, sex, symptom severity, medical history, and previous treatment experiences.
• Incorporate pharmacogenetic information to understand how genetic differences influence medication effectiveness and side effects.
• Generate personalised treatment recommendations by combining clinical, demographic, and genetic information.
• Support shared decision-making between patients and healthcare professionals.

To ensure the PRADA tool is appropriate for different populations, it will be culturally adapted for use in Pakistan and Ethiopia.

This work package includes:

• Translating and adapting the tool to reflect local languages, cultural values, religious beliefs, literacy levels, and healthcare systems.
• Testing the tool with patients, carers, and clinicians to gather feedback on its usability and acceptability.
• Refining the tool through multiple rounds of testing before implementation.
• Evaluating the tool during the clinical trial to ensure it remains practical, culturally appropriate, and responsive to users’ needs.

The effectiveness of the PRADA tool will be evaluated through a large international clinical trial involving participants from Pakistan, Ethiopia, and the United Kingdom.

The trial will compare:

• PETRUSHKA Tool: Uses clinical, demographic, and patient preference data to recommend the most best antidepressant.
• Enhanced PRADA Tool: The enhanced (multimodal) tool incorporates participants’ pharmacogenetic profiles to identify the most appropriate antidepressant, helping exclude medications with a higher risk of side effects or recommend dose adjustments based on an individual’s metabolic profile. 

The study will assess whether personalised treatment recommendations improve treatment effectiveness, reduce side effects, and support better shared decision-making between patients and clinicians.