Therapy, mental health, and human capital accumulation among adolescent girls in Uganda

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Baird, Sarah; Ozler, Berk; Dell'Aira, Chiara; Parisotto, Luca; Us-Salam, Danish
• 署名单位: George Washington University; The World Bank; The World Bank; Bocconi University; European Central Bank; Central Bank of Ireland
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103473
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: Adolescence; Mental health; Group interpersonal psychotherapy; Cash transfers; Covid-19

摘要

Using a cluster-randomized controlled trial, this study evaluates the impact of group-based interpersonal therapy (IPT-G) on mental health and human capital accumulation among adolescent girls in Uganda who were at risk of moderate to severe depression at baseline. The study was designed to test whether lay provider-led IPT-G for adolescents could be effectively implemented using modest resources in a low-income country. It also tested whether a lump-sum cash transfer offered at the end of therapy provided any additional benefit. The therapy intervention alone increased the share of individuals with no depression by 5.4 percentage points (from 18.4% in the control group) 12 months after therapy, but these effects dissipated by the 30-month follow-up. Similarly, small positive effects on human capital accumulation at 12 months were not sustained at 30 months. Surprisingly, the marginal effect of offering cash transfers to IPT-G beneficiaries was large and negative on their mental health, persisting two years after baseline. The paper provides suggestive evidence that the adolescents were frustrated by their inability to use the cash towards their own goals because of the need to divert funds towards the essential needs of their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.