心理治疗、心理健康与乌干达青春期女孩的人力资本积累

中文摘要

本研究采用整群随机对照试验，评估团体人际心理治疗（IPT-G）对乌干达青春期女孩心理健康和人力资本积累的影响，这些女孩在基线时面临中度至重度抑郁风险。研究旨在检验，在低收入国家能否利用有限资源有效实施由非专业人员主导的青少年IPT-G。研究还检验了在治疗结束时提供一次性现金转移是否会带来任何额外益处。仅心理治疗干预本身，就使治疗后12个月无抑郁症状个体的比例提高了5.4个百分点（对照组为18.4%），但这些效应到30个月随访时已经消退。同样，12个月时人力资本积累的小幅正向效应，在30个月时也未能持续。令人意外的是，向IPT-G受益者提供现金转移的边际效应对其心理健康产生了较大的负面影响，并持续至基线调查两年后。本文提供了提示性证据，表明在新冠疫情期间，由于需要将资金转用于满足家庭的基本需求，这些青少年无法将现金用于实现自己的目标，因而感到沮丧。

Abstract

Using a cluster-randomized controlled trial, this study evaluates the impact of group-based interpersonal therapy (IPT-G) on mental health and human capital accumulation among adolescent girls in Uganda who were at risk of moderate to severe depression at baseline. The study was designed to test whether lay provider-led IPT-G for adolescents could be effectively implemented using modest resources in a low-income country. It also tested whether a lump-sum cash transfer offered at the end of therapy provided any additional benefit. The therapy intervention alone increased the share of individuals with no depression by 5.4 percentage points (from 18.4% in the control group) 12 months after therapy, but these effects dissipated by the 30-month follow-up. Similarly, small positive effects on human capital accumulation at 12 months were not sustained at 30 months. Surprisingly, the marginal effect of offering cash transfers to IPT-G beneficiaries was large and negative on their mental health, persisting two years after baseline. The paper provides suggestive evidence that the adolescents were frustrated by their inability to use the cash towards their own goals because of the need to divert funds towards the essential needs of their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.