ASHA Bangladesh--Integrated Intervention to Address Poverty and Depression

Overview

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to compare the impact of an integrated intervention combining poverty alleviation and depression treatment to depression treatment alone, in low income rural Bangladeshi women with depression. The main question[s] it aims to answer are: 1) whether adding poverty alleviation to depression treatment in an integrated intervention improves depression outcomes at 24 months, as assessed by depressive symptoms and by the presence or absence of relapse; and 2) whether adding poverty alleviation to depression treatment improves implementation outcomes including treatment uptake and retention. Participants in both arms will participate in interviews at 6,12,18 and 24 months.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. married women;
2. age 18-75;
3. fluent in Bengali);
4. Meets criteria on an Economic Vulnerability Index
5. >=10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9 Depression Scale at baseline

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Inability to provide informed consent;
2. Plans to travel for > 1 month during 24 M period.
3. Inability to participate in the study for any other reason