Model and Strategy
This project treats depression in Ugandan women by expanding access to StrongMinds’ proven model of community-based group talk therapy, helping them to significantly reduce their depressive symptoms and prevent future episodes. The treatment decreases their social isolation and strengthens their families and communities.
StrongMinds’ group talk therapy is facilitated by lay community workers and focuses on helping group members identify and manage their interpersonal difficulties, and ultimately reduces symptoms of depression without the use of medications. The patients once again become productive leaders of their families and contribute to their communities with renewed energy, eliminating the stigma they faced when they were debilitated by depression.
This project increases the number of women treated, brings group talk therapy to rural areas, and contributes to growing the body of evidence on group talk therapy’s effectiveness in treating depression at scale in Africa.
Impact
these women will be able to keep their jobs and improve their income/savings now and in the future;
these women will take better care of themselves and have a higher quality of life;
their children will be healthier/better educated and more likely avoid being depressed;
the stigma will be removed, improving depressed women’s access to treatment and community inclusion; and
the depression epidemic in Africa will be significantly reduced.
Leadership
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Sean Mayberry
Founder