Helping low-income women in rural Bangladesh with depression through combined mental health care and economic support
ASHA Bangladesh--An Integrated Intervention to Address Depression in Low Income Rural Women
This program gives group-based depression care plus economic supports to low-income women in rural Bangladesh to help improve their mood and household situation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11144396 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The project offers an integrated approach that combines adapted group depression treatment with poverty-alleviation supports for women in rural Bangladesh. Researchers will recruit 660 low-income women with depression from 44 villages and randomly assign villages to receive either the standard group treatment or the combined intervention. Participants will be followed over time to track changes in mood, daily functioning, and economic outcomes. The project also includes training and fellowship opportunities for young researchers in Bangladesh to build local implementation capacity.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Low-income adult women living in the selected rural Bangladeshi villages who screen positive for depression and can attend local group sessions are the intended participants.
Not a fit: Women without depression, men, urban residents, or anyone unable to attend local group activities are unlikely to benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce depressive symptoms and improve economic stability by addressing mental health and poverty together.
How similar studies have performed: The team reports a successful pilot and similar integrated poverty-and-mental-health approaches have shown promising but still limited evidence in larger populations.
Where this research is happening
Worcester, United States
- Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester — Worcester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Karasz, Alison — Univ of Massachusetts Med Sch Worcester
- Study coordinator: Karasz, Alison
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.