STORIES AND UPDATES

Restoring Mental Health, Improving Livelihoods

Empowering women is essential to reducing poverty and building better economies. When women are mentally healthy, they can contribute to society, achieve financial independence, and accelerate positive change. This month, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite photos of women doing just that.  They are mothers. They are entrepreneurs. They are farmers. They are friends. …

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Welcoming Debate About Cost-efficiency and Impact

We appreciate the recent attention we have received around the cost-effectiveness of Group Interpersonal Therapy (IPT-G) from two highly respected organizations: Happier Lives Institute and GiveWell. We welcome this conversation, as it elevates the dialogue around prioritizing mental health, which is much needed. Mental health treatment is still vastly underfunded, particularly in low- and middle-income…

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Responding to Climate Disasters and Disease Outbreaks

Climate-related environmental disasters and infectious disease outbreaks are increasingly affecting mental health in Africa. Safety concerns and loss of life, property, or livelihoods can trigger or worsen mental health disorders in the aftermath of a catastrophe. Uganda has been particularly hard-hit recently, and StrongMinds is providing much-needed mental health support in affected regions. In July,…

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Big Win for Mental Health in Uganda’s Schools

When 16-year-old Gabriele first entered Uganda as a South Sudanese refugee, he never imagined he’d soon be traveling to Kampala to lobby Parliament and Ministry officials for new mental health policies. Gabriele, who attends school in Uganda’s Palabek refugee settlement, is one of nearly 12,000 adolescents in Africa who have received depression treatment from StrongMinds…

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Sean Mayberry, Founder and CEO of StrongMinds, Awarded the 2022 Honorary Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health

Sean Mayberry was selected as the winner of the Honorary 2022 Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health, awarded by The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. The Honorary Prize Recipients were chosen by an esteemed panel for their groundbreaking work in global mental health. “The 2022 Pardes Prize recipients personify the deep knowledge and understanding of…

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StrongMinds Uganda and Ministry of Education Join Forces to Prioritize Adolescent Mental Health in Schools

Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) circulated guidelines instructing all academic institutions to implement mental health programming in schools on October 5. The milestone comes after continuous ministry liaison with StrongMinds teams urging officials to place adolescent mental health higher on Uganda’s national education agenda. Under new procedures, institutions must begin implementing at least…

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Pamela’s Story: Treating Depression in Refugee Settings

33-year-old Pamela resides in a small village within Lamwo District, Northern Uganda. As a busy mom attempting to manage long-standing medical issues, her days are often mentally and emotionally exhausting. In 2021, the unexpected cost of surgery caused Pamela to experience persistent feelings of sadness. Suddenly, all that began to consume her mind was the…

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Educator Training Pilot Benefits Students and Teachers in Uganda

In 2021, StrongMinds launched an educator training pilot to explore the potential of instructing teachers to lead group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) sessions for adolescent students in Uganda.   After formal training, teachers deployed the skills obtained under StrongMinds’ supervision and delivered IPT-G sessions in groups consisting of 10-11 students. Initial results indicated that this model…

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Fueling our work through technology

Building on our successes scaling through teletherapy during the pandemic, StrongMinds has now integrated phone-based technology throughout our operations, enhancing our ability to identify and treat individuals with depression, even as our in-person therapy operations resume. We continue to offer a pathway to depression screenings through *252, a short-code phone number in Uganda, and WhatsApp…

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Designer Clio Goldbrenner Launches New line of Bags to Benefit StrongMinds

Belgian designer Clio Goldbrenner has partnered with StrongMinds and EPIC to launch a new bag collection in support of mental health for women in sub-Saharan Africa. The capsule collection includes two Clio Mini pouches, embossed with the words “Strong” and “Positive.” All proceeds will go to StrongMinds to improve access to mental health services for low-income women…

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Christina’s Story of Depression Recovery in a Refugee Settlement

Christina lives in a refugee settlement in northeastern Uganda. At 28-years old, she has already endured a lifetime of instability. When her family fled Sudan, Christina’s father stayed behind. Her mother still struggles daily to make ends meet. Now, as an adult, Christina is living with HIV, while raising her children without her husband’s support.…

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Why Depression in Africa?

Depression is the leading cause of disability globally. More than 25% African women are suffering from depression and 85% have no access to mental health treatment. StrongMinds is the only organization focused on scaling a solution to the depression epidemic in Africa through its proven group talk therapy programs. Depression affects every aspect of a woman’s…

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Global Mental Health Funding

In April 2017, the Institute for Health Metrics & Evaluation at the University of Washington released its seminal annual report on development funding for health in low and middle income countries. The report summarizes all bilateral, multilateral, corporate and private philanthropic investment into health throughout the prior calendar year. It also breaks out funding by…

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World Health Day 2017

  On Friday, April 7, 2017, StrongMinds marked World Health Day at the World Health Organization’s event at the United Nations in New York City.  StrongMinds was joined by other local, national, and international nonprofits working in the global mental health space, as well as academic partners from the New York City area. The theme…

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StrongMinds Uganda Retreat

The StrongMinds Uganda team held a retreat December 19-21, 2016.  The entire team of 47 personnel attended the two-day workshop, held in a serene environment away from office and the bustling city of Kampala to provide peace to staff during the retreat. GOAL The goal of the retreat was to give the Mental Health Facilitators…

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Solving the Depression Epidemic in Africa | Sean Mayberry | TEDxCulverCity

Global healthcare advocate and activist, Sean Mayberry addresses a silent epidemic affecting hundreds of millions Africans, Depression. In a society that attaches stigma to mental health issues, Mayberry finds mass-relief through talk therapy. Sean Mayberry is a former diplomat and social marketer who believes in simple and cost-effective interventions which can improve an area that…

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2014 Results

To date, we have successfully treated 514 women in our therapy groups! Our team of trained and certified mental health facilitators use group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) to treat these poor women who live on $1-2 a day.  The results from our first phase are very encouraging. Impact Synopsis An Impact Evaluation indicates that the StrongMinds’…

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