Does Poverty Alleviation Decrease Depression Symptoms in Post-Conflict Settings? : A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Microenterprise Assistance in Northern Uganda
By 2009, two decades of war and widespread displacement left the majority of the population of Northern Uganda impoverished. This study used a cluster-randomized design to test the hypothesis that a poverty alleviation program would improve economic security and reduce symptoms of depression in a sa...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Cambridge University Press
2016
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24821 |
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okr-10986-248212021-05-26T09:05:19Z Does Poverty Alleviation Decrease Depression Symptoms in Post-Conflict Settings? : A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Microenterprise Assistance in Northern Uganda Green, E.P. Blattman, C. Jamison, J. Annan, J. poverty alleviation depression symptoms cash transfers By 2009, two decades of war and widespread displacement left the majority of the population of Northern Uganda impoverished. This study used a cluster-randomized design to test the hypothesis that a poverty alleviation program would improve economic security and reduce symptoms of depression in a sample of mostly young women. Roughly 120 villages in Northern Uganda were invited to participate. Community committees were asked to identify the most vulnerable women (and some men) to participate. The implementing agency screened all proposed participants, and a total of 1800 were enrolled. Following a baseline survey, villages were randomized to a treatment or wait-list control group. Participants in treatment villages received training, start-up capital, and follow-up support. Participants, implementers, and data collectors were not blinded to treatment status. Sixteen months after the program, monthly cash earnings doubled from UGX 22 523 to 51 124, non-household and non-farm businesses doubled, and cash savings roughly quadrupled. There was no measurable effect on a locally derived measure of symptoms of depression. Despite finding large increases in business, income, and savings among the treatment group, we do not find support for an indirect effect of poverty alleviation on symptoms of depression. 2016-08-08T19:01:12Z 2016-08-08T19:01:12Z 2016-02-29 Journal Article Global Mental Health 2054-4251 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24821 en_US CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo World Bank Cambridge University Press Publications & Research :: Journal Article Publications & Research Africa Uganda |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
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Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
en_US |
| topic |
poverty alleviation depression symptoms cash transfers |
| spellingShingle |
poverty alleviation depression symptoms cash transfers Green, E.P. Blattman, C. Jamison, J. Annan, J. Does Poverty Alleviation Decrease Depression Symptoms in Post-Conflict Settings? : A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Microenterprise Assistance in Northern Uganda |
| geographic_facet |
Africa Uganda |
| description |
By 2009, two decades of war and widespread displacement left the majority of the population of Northern Uganda impoverished. This study used a cluster-randomized design to test the hypothesis that a poverty alleviation program would improve economic security and reduce symptoms of depression in a sample of mostly young women. Roughly 120 villages in Northern Uganda were invited to participate. Community committees were asked to identify the most vulnerable women (and some men) to participate. The implementing agency screened all proposed participants, and a total of 1800 were enrolled. Following a baseline survey, villages were randomized to a treatment or wait-list control group. Participants in treatment villages received training, start-up capital, and follow-up support. Participants, implementers, and data collectors were not blinded to treatment status. Sixteen months after the program, monthly cash earnings doubled from UGX 22 523 to 51 124, non-household and non-farm businesses doubled, and cash savings roughly quadrupled. There was no measurable effect on a locally derived measure of symptoms of depression. Despite finding large increases in business, income, and savings among the treatment group, we do not find support for an indirect effect of poverty alleviation on symptoms of depression. |
| format |
Journal Article |
| author |
Green, E.P. Blattman, C. Jamison, J. Annan, J. |
| author_facet |
Green, E.P. Blattman, C. Jamison, J. Annan, J. |
| author_sort |
Green, E.P. |
| title |
Does Poverty Alleviation Decrease Depression Symptoms in Post-Conflict Settings? : A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Microenterprise Assistance in Northern Uganda |
| title_short |
Does Poverty Alleviation Decrease Depression Symptoms in Post-Conflict Settings? : A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Microenterprise Assistance in Northern Uganda |
| title_full |
Does Poverty Alleviation Decrease Depression Symptoms in Post-Conflict Settings? : A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Microenterprise Assistance in Northern Uganda |
| title_fullStr |
Does Poverty Alleviation Decrease Depression Symptoms in Post-Conflict Settings? : A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Microenterprise Assistance in Northern Uganda |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Does Poverty Alleviation Decrease Depression Symptoms in Post-Conflict Settings? : A Cluster-Randomized Trial of Microenterprise Assistance in Northern Uganda |
| title_sort |
does poverty alleviation decrease depression symptoms in post-conflict settings? : a cluster-randomized trial of microenterprise assistance in northern uganda |
| publisher |
Cambridge University Press |
| publishDate |
2016 |
| url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24821 |
| _version_ |
1764457738239213568 |