Potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people: A conceptual framework and lines of enquiry for research and policy

Sara Evans-Lacko; Ricardo Araya; Annette Bauer; Emily Garman; Alejandra Álvarez-Iglesias; David McDaid; Philipp Hessel; Alicia Matijasevich; Cristiane Silvestre Paula; A. La Park; Crick Lund

doi:10.1017/gmh.2023.4

Potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people: A conceptual framework and lines of enquiry for research and policy

Sara Evans-Lacko^*, Ricardo Araya, Annette Bauer, Emily Garman, Alejandra Álvarez-Iglesias, David McDaid, Philipp Hessel, Alicia Matijasevich, Cristiane Silvestre Paula, A. La Park, Crick Lund

^*Corresponding author for this work

Health Service & Population Research

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

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Mental health is inextricably linked to both poverty and future life chances such as education, skills, labour market attachment and social function. Poverty can lead to poorer mental health, which reduces opportunities and increases the risk of lifetime poverty. Cash transfer programmes are one of the most common strategies to reduce poverty and now reach substantial proportions of populations living in low- and middle-income countries. Because of their rapid expansion in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have recently gained even more importance. Recently, there have been suggestions that these cash transfers might improve youth mental health, disrupting the cycle of disadvantage at a critical period of life. Here, we present a conceptual framework describing potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people. Furthermore, we explore how theories from behavioural economics and cognitive psychology could be used to more specifically target these mechanisms and optimise the impact of cash transfers on youth mental health and life chances. Based on this, we identify several lines of enquiry and action for future research and policy.

Original language	English
Article number	e13
Journal	Global Mental Health
Volume	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2023.4
Publication status	Published - 21 Feb 2023

Keywords

cash transfer programmes
children and adolescents
mental health
poverty
social determinants of health

UN SDGs

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

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10.1017/gmh.2023.4

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Evans-Lacko, S., Araya, R., Bauer, A., Garman, E., Álvarez-Iglesias, A., McDaid, D., Hessel, P., Matijasevich, A., Paula, C. S., Park, A. L., & Lund, C. (2023). Potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people: A conceptual framework and lines of enquiry for research and policy. Global Mental Health, 10, Article e13. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2023.4

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abstract = "Mental health is inextricably linked to both poverty and future life chances such as education, skills, labour market attachment and social function. Poverty can lead to poorer mental health, which reduces opportunities and increases the risk of lifetime poverty. Cash transfer programmes are one of the most common strategies to reduce poverty and now reach substantial proportions of populations living in low- and middle-income countries. Because of their rapid expansion in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have recently gained even more importance. Recently, there have been suggestions that these cash transfers might improve youth mental health, disrupting the cycle of disadvantage at a critical period of life. Here, we present a conceptual framework describing potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people. Furthermore, we explore how theories from behavioural economics and cognitive psychology could be used to more specifically target these mechanisms and optimise the impact of cash transfers on youth mental health and life chances. Based on this, we identify several lines of enquiry and action for future research and policy.",

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author = "Sara Evans-Lacko and Ricardo Araya and Annette Bauer and Emily Garman and Alejandra {\'A}lvarez-Iglesias and David McDaid and Philipp Hessel and Alicia Matijasevich and Paula, {Cristiane Silvestre} and Park, {A. La} and Crick Lund",

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year = "2023",

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Evans-Lacko, S , Araya, R, Bauer, A, Garman, E, Álvarez-Iglesias, A, McDaid, D, Hessel, P, Matijasevich, A, Paula, CS, Park, AL & Lund, C 2023, 'Potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people: A conceptual framework and lines of enquiry for research and policy', Global Mental Health, vol. 10, e13. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2023.4

Potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people: A conceptual framework and lines of enquiry for research and policy. / Evans-Lacko, Sara ; Araya, Ricardo; Bauer, Annette et al.
In: Global Mental Health, Vol. 10, e13, 21.02.2023.

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

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T1 - Potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people

T2 - A conceptual framework and lines of enquiry for research and policy

AU - Evans-Lacko, Sara

AU - Araya, Ricardo

AU - Bauer, Annette

AU - Garman, Emily

AU - Álvarez-Iglesias, Alejandra

AU - McDaid, David

AU - Hessel, Philipp

AU - Matijasevich, Alicia

AU - Paula, Cristiane Silvestre

AU - Park, A. La

AU - Lund, Crick

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AB - Mental health is inextricably linked to both poverty and future life chances such as education, skills, labour market attachment and social function. Poverty can lead to poorer mental health, which reduces opportunities and increases the risk of lifetime poverty. Cash transfer programmes are one of the most common strategies to reduce poverty and now reach substantial proportions of populations living in low- and middle-income countries. Because of their rapid expansion in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have recently gained even more importance. Recently, there have been suggestions that these cash transfers might improve youth mental health, disrupting the cycle of disadvantage at a critical period of life. Here, we present a conceptual framework describing potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people. Furthermore, we explore how theories from behavioural economics and cognitive psychology could be used to more specifically target these mechanisms and optimise the impact of cash transfers on youth mental health and life chances. Based on this, we identify several lines of enquiry and action for future research and policy.

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KW - children and adolescents

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KW - poverty

KW - social determinants of health

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DO - 10.1017/gmh.2023.4

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:85172370911

SN - 2054-4251

VL - 10

JO - Global Mental Health

JF - Global Mental Health

M1 - e13

ER -

Potential mechanisms by which cash transfer programmes could improve the mental health and life chances of young people: A conceptual framework and lines of enquiry for research and policy

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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