Integrating youth mental health into cash transfer programmes in response to the COVID-19 crisis in low-income and middle-income countries

Annette Bauer; Emily Garman; David McDaid; Mauricio Avendano; Philipp Hessel; Yadira Díaz; Ricardo Araya; Crick Lund; Paulo Malvasi; Alicia Matijasevich; A. La Park; Cristiane Silvestre Paula; Carolina Ziebold; Annie Zimmerman; Sara Evans-Lacko

doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30382-5

Integrating youth mental health into cash transfer programmes in response to the COVID-19 crisis in low-income and middle-income countries

Annette Bauer^*
, Emily Garman
, David McDaid
, Mauricio Avendano
, Philipp Hessel
, Yadira Díaz
, Ricardo Araya
, Crick Lund
, Paulo Malvasi
, Alicia Matijasevich
, A. La Park
, Cristiane Silvestre Paula
, Carolina Ziebold
, Annie Zimmerman
, Sara Evans-Lacko

^*Corresponding author for this work

LSE London School of Economics & Political Science
University of Cape Town
Department of Global Health & Social Medicine
King's College London
Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
University of Los Andes, Colombia
Centre for Public Mental Health, Department of Psychology, Stellenbosch University and Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Santa Casa Medical School
Universidade de Sao Paulo - USP
Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie
Department of Health Policy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

52 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Social protection measures can play an important part in securing livelihoods and in mitigating short-term and long-term economic, social, and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, cash transfer programmes are currently being adapted or expanded in various low-income and middle-income countries to support individuals and families during the pandemic. We argue that the current crisis offers an opportunity for these programmes to focus on susceptible young people (aged 15–24 years), including those with mental health conditions. Young people living in poverty and with mental health problems are at particular risk of experiencing adverse health, wellbeing, and employment outcomes with long-term consequences. They are also at risk of developing mental health conditions during this pandemic. To support this population, cash transfer programmes should not only address urgent needs around food security and survival but expand their focus to address longer-term mental health impacts of pandemics and economic crises. Such an approach could help support young people's future life chances and break the vicious cycle between mental illness and poverty that spirals many young people into both socioeconomic and mental health disadvantage.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	340-346
Number of pages	7
Journal	The Lancet Psychiatry
Volume	8
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30382-5
Publication status	Published - Apr 2021

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 1 No Poverty
SDG 2 Zero Hunger

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10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30382-5

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Bauer, A., Garman, E., McDaid, D., Avendano, M., Hessel, P., Díaz, Y., Araya, R., Lund, C., Malvasi, P., Matijasevich, A., Park, A. L., Paula, C. S., Ziebold, C., Zimmerman, A., & Evans-Lacko, S. (2021). Integrating youth mental health into cash transfer programmes in response to the COVID-19 crisis in low-income and middle-income countries. The Lancet Psychiatry, 8(4), 340-346. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30382-5

@article{5503c0af194c4b0ea17e0c9088b91041,

title = "Integrating youth mental health into cash transfer programmes in response to the COVID-19 crisis in low-income and middle-income countries",

abstract = "Social protection measures can play an important part in securing livelihoods and in mitigating short-term and long-term economic, social, and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, cash transfer programmes are currently being adapted or expanded in various low-income and middle-income countries to support individuals and families during the pandemic. We argue that the current crisis offers an opportunity for these programmes to focus on susceptible young people (aged 15–24 years), including those with mental health conditions. Young people living in poverty and with mental health problems are at particular risk of experiencing adverse health, wellbeing, and employment outcomes with long-term consequences. They are also at risk of developing mental health conditions during this pandemic. To support this population, cash transfer programmes should not only address urgent needs around food security and survival but expand their focus to address longer-term mental health impacts of pandemics and economic crises. Such an approach could help support young people's future life chances and break the vicious cycle between mental illness and poverty that spirals many young people into both socioeconomic and mental health disadvantage.",

author = "Annette Bauer and Emily Garman and David McDaid and Mauricio Avendano and Philipp Hessel and Yadira D{\'i}az and Ricardo Araya and Crick Lund and Paulo Malvasi and Alicia Matijasevich and Park, \{A. La\} and Paula, \{Cristiane Silvestre\} and Carolina Ziebold and Annie Zimmerman and Sara Evans-Lacko",

note = "Funding Information: AB, SE-L, EG, YD, PH, CL, AP, CSP, DM, PM, RA, AZ, CZ, and MA report a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC, ES/S001050/1) for the project: “Poverty reduction, mental health and the chances of young people: understanding mechanisms through analyses from 6 low- and middle-income countries” (UK Research and Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund). CL reports personal fees from Prudential Africa, outside the submitted work. YD, PH, and RA report grants from ESRC (number 730181) for the project: “Improving mental health and human capital: developing a mental health intervention for {\textquoteleft}Youth in Action{\textquoteright} programme in post-conflict areas in Colombia”. MA reports grants from the European Commission Horizon 2020 and the National Institute for Health Research; and personal fees from WHO, outside the submitted work. YD reports consultancy fees from the World Bank and the Food and Agricultural Organization for the design of the targeting instrument for social programmes in Saint Lucia and Zambia; and the United Nations Development Programme for the analysis of the potential impact of COVID19 on poverty in Colombia. As of Jan 7, 2021, YD reports to the undersecretary of Socioeconomic Planning of the Bogota Planning Secretariat. AM declares no competing interests. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier Ltd Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2021",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30382-5",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

pages = "340--346",

journal = "The Lancet Psychiatry",

issn = "2215-0366",

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Bauer, A, Garman, E, McDaid, D, Avendano, M, Hessel, P, Díaz, Y, Araya, R , Lund, C, Malvasi, P, Matijasevich, A, Park, AL, Paula, CS, Ziebold, C, Zimmerman, A & Evans-Lacko, S 2021, 'Integrating youth mental health into cash transfer programmes in response to the COVID-19 crisis in low-income and middle-income countries', The Lancet Psychiatry, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 340-346. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30382-5

TY - JOUR

T1 - Integrating youth mental health into cash transfer programmes in response to the COVID-19 crisis in low-income and middle-income countries

AU - Bauer, Annette

AU - Garman, Emily

AU - McDaid, David

AU - Avendano, Mauricio

AU - Hessel, Philipp

AU - Díaz, Yadira

AU - Araya, Ricardo

AU - Lund, Crick

AU - Malvasi, Paulo

AU - Matijasevich, Alicia

AU - Park, A. La

AU - Paula, Cristiane Silvestre

AU - Ziebold, Carolina

AU - Zimmerman, Annie

AU - Evans-Lacko, Sara

N1 - Funding Information: AB, SE-L, EG, YD, PH, CL, AP, CSP, DM, PM, RA, AZ, CZ, and MA report a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC, ES/S001050/1) for the project: “Poverty reduction, mental health and the chances of young people: understanding mechanisms through analyses from 6 low- and middle-income countries” (UK Research and Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund). CL reports personal fees from Prudential Africa, outside the submitted work. YD, PH, and RA report grants from ESRC (number 730181) for the project: “Improving mental health and human capital: developing a mental health intervention for ‘Youth in Action’ programme in post-conflict areas in Colombia”. MA reports grants from the European Commission Horizon 2020 and the National Institute for Health Research; and personal fees from WHO, outside the submitted work. YD reports consultancy fees from the World Bank and the Food and Agricultural Organization for the design of the targeting instrument for social programmes in Saint Lucia and Zambia; and the United Nations Development Programme for the analysis of the potential impact of COVID19 on poverty in Colombia. As of Jan 7, 2021, YD reports to the undersecretary of Socioeconomic Planning of the Bogota Planning Secretariat. AM declares no competing interests. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Ltd Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2021/4

Y1 - 2021/4

N2 - Social protection measures can play an important part in securing livelihoods and in mitigating short-term and long-term economic, social, and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, cash transfer programmes are currently being adapted or expanded in various low-income and middle-income countries to support individuals and families during the pandemic. We argue that the current crisis offers an opportunity for these programmes to focus on susceptible young people (aged 15–24 years), including those with mental health conditions. Young people living in poverty and with mental health problems are at particular risk of experiencing adverse health, wellbeing, and employment outcomes with long-term consequences. They are also at risk of developing mental health conditions during this pandemic. To support this population, cash transfer programmes should not only address urgent needs around food security and survival but expand their focus to address longer-term mental health impacts of pandemics and economic crises. Such an approach could help support young people's future life chances and break the vicious cycle between mental illness and poverty that spirals many young people into both socioeconomic and mental health disadvantage.

AB - Social protection measures can play an important part in securing livelihoods and in mitigating short-term and long-term economic, social, and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, cash transfer programmes are currently being adapted or expanded in various low-income and middle-income countries to support individuals and families during the pandemic. We argue that the current crisis offers an opportunity for these programmes to focus on susceptible young people (aged 15–24 years), including those with mental health conditions. Young people living in poverty and with mental health problems are at particular risk of experiencing adverse health, wellbeing, and employment outcomes with long-term consequences. They are also at risk of developing mental health conditions during this pandemic. To support this population, cash transfer programmes should not only address urgent needs around food security and survival but expand their focus to address longer-term mental health impacts of pandemics and economic crises. Such an approach could help support young people's future life chances and break the vicious cycle between mental illness and poverty that spirals many young people into both socioeconomic and mental health disadvantage.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85101106828

U2 - 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30382-5

DO - 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30382-5

M3 - Review article

C2 - 33549174

AN - SCOPUS:85101106828

SN - 2215-0366

VL - 8

SP - 340

EP - 346

JO - The Lancet Psychiatry

JF - The Lancet Psychiatry

IS - 4

ER -

Integrating youth mental health into cash transfer programmes in response to the COVID-19 crisis in low-income and middle-income countries

Abstract

UN SDGs

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