How cash transfers can protect mental health of rural South African teens
Pathways to protection: understanding how cash transfers can protect the mental health of rural South African adolescents growing up in adversity
This project will see whether giving cash to families helps reduce depression and improve wellbeing for adolescents who grew up with hardship in rural South Africa.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11398833 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you're a teen in rural South Africa who faced childhood hardship, researchers are using long-term study data and local community records to find out if cash support helps your mental health and future chances. They will compare young people who did and did not receive cash transfers, examine different types of adversity, and explore whether adding other supports boosts benefits. The team relies on existing data from a randomized conditional cash-transfer program and linked surveys rather than new clinical testing. Results are meant to guide policies and programs that could better protect girls and young women facing poverty and trauma.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adolescent girls and young women (roughly ages 12–20) in rural South Africa who have experienced childhood adversities and whose households were part of cash-transfer programs.
Not a fit: People outside the target ages, outside rural South Africa, or without a background of childhood adversity may not see direct benefit or applicability from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could show that cash programs or combined supports lower depression and improve life outcomes for adolescents in poverty.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has found cash transfers can improve adult mental health and wellbeing, but evidence for adolescents and for which combined interventions work best is still limited.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pettifor, Audrey — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Pettifor, Audrey
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.