Hope for Stronger Families: building family savings and parenting support in Uganda
Suubi(Hope)4StrongerFamilies: Addressing Child Behavioral Health by Strengthening Financial Stability and Parenting among Families in Uganda
This project helps families in Uganda build savings and strengthen parenting to improve children's behavior and mental health, especially where HIV and poverty are common.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285374 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your children would join community-based groups where families learn practical money-saving strategies, get economic supports, and practice parenting skills together. The program combines economic empowerment (helping families save and access resources) with family-strengthening sessions delivered through local child- and family-serving organizations. Researchers will follow children and caregivers over time to see how these combined supports change behavior, family stress, and wellbeing. The team focuses on approaches that can be scaled across communities in Uganda and similar settings.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Caregivers and their children or adolescents in Uganda—particularly families affected by poverty or HIV and those noticing behavioral or emotional problems—are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People who do not live near participating community sites in Uganda, those without caregiving responsibilities for children, or children needing urgent psychiatric care are unlikely to benefit directly from joining this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce disruptive behavior in children, improve family stability, and lower the long-term harms linked to poverty and HIV exposure.
How similar studies have performed: Related economic-strengthening and family-support programs in Uganda and East Africa have shown promise for youth wellbeing, though combining these approaches specifically to target childhood disruptive behaviors is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mckay, Mary Mckernan — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Mckay, Mary Mckernan
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.