NCT04532008

Depression Treatment and Economic Empowerment

The ASHA Project: Pilot Study of a Depression Treatment/Economic Empowerment

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 48 (actual)
• Sponsor: Albert Einstein College of Medicine · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This pilot study randomized 48 depressed rural Bangladeshi housewives to either intervention or control groups. The intervention groups received depression treatment and a financial empowerment intervention.

Detailed description

This study was conducted in the rural Sirajganj region of Bangladesh. Working with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh and a local NGO, we recruited 48 depressed rural housewives for the study. Participants were randomized into intervention in control groups. The intervention groups (n=24) received 12 sessions of evidence based depression treatment, financial literacy education, agricultural training and skill building. They opened bank accounts and saved for six months. At the end of the six month period, participants who had met savings and attendance requirements received a cash transfer of approximately $186, which was used to purchase a productive asset. 22 participants purchased an agricultural animal, usually a goat; 1 financed a small retail business, and 1 leased land to grow crops for sale. Depression scores on the PHD-9 were sharply reduced. The study had 100% retention.

Conditions

• Depressive Symptoms

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Group based treatment	12 sessions of group based therapy that included cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, and interpersonal therapy

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-09-01
• Primary completion: 2014-09-01
• Completion: 2020-08-15
• First posted: 2020-08-31
• Last updated: 2020-08-31