In July 2022, Eastern Uganda’s Mbale District was hit by a catastrophic flood, leaving a trail of ruin and destruction. Susan was just one of many who lost her home in the deluge as the bursting banks of the neighboring rivers Nabuyonga and Namatala overwhelmed the area. What’s more, Susan’s husband could not work after…
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. …
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…
The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS) announced StrongMinds as a winner in two categories for the 2nd Annual Anthem Awards on February 15, 2023. The awards, launched by the Webby Awards in 2021, recognize social impact work from across the globe in seven core causes ranging from Humanitarian Action and Services to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.…
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,…
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…
Poor countries are developing a new paradigm of mental health care. America is taking note. This is what the future of mental health could look like. By Sigal Samuel, Senior Reporter at Vox When you look at the numbers, it’s easy to gape in horror. In Ghana, a nation of 32 million people, there are only…
Published by Meenakshi Dalal, Media Relations Officer at WHO Regional Office for Africa Kampala – Poor access to mental health care in many African countries due to low government investment is one of the major hurdles to prevention and care services. On average African governments allocate less than 50 US cents per capita to mental…
StrongMinds Uganda teams observed World Mental Health Day with several outreach and visibility events throughout October. Kalerwe Market served as the first mobilization site due to the large number of vendors who might be experiencing depression and other mental health challenges on Oct. 10. Throughout the day, staff and peer facilitators educated individuals about depression…
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…
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…
Prossy is a 30-year-old South Sudanese woman who fled to Uganda with her four children to escape the civil war at home. Her husband had traveled ahead and awaited their arrival in the Palabek refugee settlement in northern Uganda. The journey was long and arduous. During their months in transit, Prossy dreamed of the moment…
By Capital FM News Reporter Kidandi Moses Experts have warned of an urgent need to address growing depression cases across the country, especially in local communities. This mental health condition has resulted in many cases of unexplained deaths due to suicide, violence, school dropouts, poverty, and more. Depression is a common and serious medical condition…
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…
by Rasa Dawson, Chief Development and Communications Officer at StrongMinds Published on the OECD Forum Network’s blog Over the past few years, the impact of untreated mental health conditions has become undeniable, as families around the world struggle with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to the stressors of everyday life. This is…
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…
Before Harriet joined StrongMinds’ therapy group in 2017, her life was filled with pain and difficulty. As a single mother of twins, relying on her own twin brother for financial support, each day carried its struggles. Harriet’s story became even more challenging when she lost her brother unexpectedly. Without warning, she was left alone to…
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…
A new scientific brief from the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called this “a wake-up call to all countries to pay more attention to mental health and do a…
Your browser does not support the audio element. Elizabeth (47) lives in Lusaka and is among our first cohort of Peer Facilitators in Zambia. When she joined a StrongMinds therapy group in 2019, grief over the loss of her children had spiraled into depression. “I just wanted to sit all alone. My hands would feel…
Maplewood, NJ – December 9, 2021- Mental health NGO StrongMinds has appointed Peter Okwi as its new Chief Operating Officer and Christina Ntulo as Country Director of StrongMinds Uganda. These appointments are part of a larger move to shift the organization’s global leadership to Uganda and Zambia, with the US office providing fundraising, marketing, and…
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…
With deep sorrow, the StrongMinds team mourns the loss of Hope Busingye, who passed away on September 18th, 2021. Hope was one of the first people hired at StrongMinds to lead counseling groups, drawing upon her years of experience in medical nursing and community healthcare. She helped establish our deep roots in Uganda and eventually…
Psychology Today talks to Tina Ntulo about the impact of depression stigma on women in Uganda, and what StrongMinds is doing to combat misinformation and reframe the conversation about depression in the communities we serve.
When life doesn’t go as planned, adjusting to new circumstances can be difficult. In some cases, it can lead to anxiety and depression. Clara, * a 14-year old girl in 9th grade is the second youngest of six children, and the only girl. She lives in a densely populated compound in Lusaka with her family,…
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.…
StrongMinds is pleased to launch a new virtual mental health resource: Amani is a WhatsApp chatbot that aims to serve tens of thousands of individuals in Uganda and Zambia struggling with mental health issues under COVID-19. Amani helps users: Explore difficult feelings and learn simple coping strategies. Learn facts about depression, and its causes and…
StrongMinds mourns the loss of a dear friend and supporter in Zambia, John Mayeya, who passed away this weekend from COVID-19. John was the Director of Mental Health within the Zambian Ministry of Health. He was a keen advocate for mental health and a tireless supporter of the work of StrongMinds. It was John who,…
NEW REPORT SHOWS HOUSEHOLD DISTRESS IS ON THE RISE IN UGANDA AND ZAMBIA DUE TO PANDEMIC KAMPALA, UGANDA – The COVID-19 pandemic is triggering an increase in persistent stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms in low-income households in Uganda and Zambia. This comes from a ground-breaking June 2020 survey of 12,000 women in low-income communities in…
As the COVID-19 crisis continues to disrupt life around the world, the toll on our mental health is enormous. At a time when there are calls for social distancing and isolation, StrongMinds’ number one priority continues to be ensuring the women and adolescents we serve in Uganda and Zambia have adequate support. We remain constant…
“In many African families, it’s really the woman who is the backbone of that household. When she is strong, the family thrives. When she is weak or suffering, the entire family suffers.” – Sean Mayberry This is one of the many key insights about mental health in Africa shared by our own Sean Mayberry when he…
A period of grief is normal after the loss of a loved one. But when the grief fails to eventually subside or is compounded by subsequent traumas, depression can often ensue. This is how Gloria, a young woman in Zambia, began her journey with depression. In 2003, when she was six years old, her mother…
In some villages in Zambia, it is considered tradition to inherit a marriage after the death of a sibling or cousin, regardless of your age. This was Mary’s fate when she was 17 years old. Her relatives married her off to her late cousin’s husband, forcing her to quit school. “This marriage arrangement was done…
Meet Deborah, a 34-year old widow and mother living with HIV. She lost her husband six years ago and is caring for his many orphaned children. Life had become meaningless after testing positive for HIV and she even thought of committing suicide. When Deborah first started the StrongMinds Talk Therapy Group, she did not fully…
Meet Doreen & Jaffar Doreen carries herself confidently, her smile as striking as the bright green dress she wears for her school uniform. But there remains a sense of sadness in her eyes as she recalls her recent past, and the path she was heading down prior to receiving depression treatment from StrongMinds. Doreen is…
Joan, 31, is the mother of three girls and the “house mother” for eight boys, at a boarding school for kids abandoned on the streets of Kampala. In this role, Joan is someone the boys can rely on to assist in their daily routines, speak with about a problem, or play a game of soccer.…
StrongMinds is pleased to announce we have expanded our mental health services to Zambia. Working closely with Zambia’s Ministry of Health and other partners, we have recruited and trained eight Zambian Mental Health Facilitators who are providing depression treatment for over 1,200 women in 2019, with plans to serve many more in the coming years.…
In December, the entire StrongMinds team was deeply saddened when we lost a dear friend and colleague. Medi Ssengooba, who served as a longstanding StrongMinds Uganda Board member and eventually Chair, passed away unexpectedly after a brief illness on December 14th. Medi lived a remarkable life. He suffered from polio as a child and spent…
HARVESTING HAPPINESS Afiya, 16, shares her story of her mother, Adellah’s recovery from the ‘Black Night’ of depression I remember that bright morning, waking up and being so excited about going to school. I was looking forward to reading my poem out loud in front of the whole class. Miss Dembe had praised my use…
To mark World Mental Health Day (10th October), StrongMinds is launching an awareness campaign called “30 Days of Good Mental Health” on popular Ugandan radio stations Capital FM and Beat FM. The media partnership will see important mental health tips and messages broadcast up to five times a day, beginning on World Mental Health Day…
Ugandan women suffer from unipolar depression at twice the rate of men. StrongMinds trains mental health facilitators who lead peer-group therapy sessions for Ugandan women, and aims to reach two million women by 2025. Read on for this recent article published in Stanford Social Innovation Review. Fall_2018_Strength_in_Numbers (2)
We are thrilled to officially welcome Frank Harle to the StrongMinds team as he now takes up the reins to lead StrongMinds’ strategic expansion into a second country in 2019. For the past six-months he has been working as a consultant with our team in Uganda providing technical support to StrongMinds Uganda on fundraising and…
Imani McGee-Stafford, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) player for the Atlanta Dream and a mental health advocate, joined StrongMinds in honoring of Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2018. Imani promoted the work of StrongMinds on social media to help raise awareness of the organization and the importance of mental health. Scroll down to view the…
Dr. Myrna Weissman, a member of the StrongMinds Advisory Board, recently released an updated and expanded edition of her book, The Guide to Interpersonal Psychotherapy. StrongMinds’ work was founded on a randomized control trial of Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy that took place in Uganda in 2002, which was conducted by Paul Bolton et al. Dr. Weissman adapted…
Watch as Rashidah shares her story about going from feeling hopeless and suicidal to having the confidence to start her own small business… All because of her participation in a StrongMinds Therapy Group.
Every Monday afternoon for the past six weeks, a group of 12 women have met on a neighbor’s porch. The StrongMinds Therapy Group, which selected the name “Together We Can,” will meet for a total of 12 weeks to overcome their depression together with guidance from Susan, their StrongMinds Mental Health Facilitator. Susan begins each session by going…
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…
Solve is Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) initiative to bring together problem-solvers to tackle the world’s most pressing problems through open innovation and partnership. Over 950 applications were submitted and 68 were chosen as finalists to pitch their solution to a panel of expert judges in New York City on Sunday, September 17. Sean Mayberry,…
Solve is Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) initiative to bring together problem-solvers to tackle the world’s pressing problems — StrongMinds is a finalist for the Brain Health global challenge. Sean Mayberry, StrongMinds’ Founder and Executive Director, will pitch our solution to a panel of expert judges and a live audience in New York City on…
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…
In late 2016, StrongMinds engaged an external team of data collectors to follow up with the very first patients treated by the organization, in 2014 and early 2015. Our goal in revisiting these patients was to understand how they are faring 18 and 24 months after StrongMinds’ therapy ended, both in terms of their mental…
Nusura is a 41 year-old mother of five children, she lives in Naguru Village, in Uganda’s Kampala district. For Nusura, life has not been easy. Her family has been plagued by economic hardship after her husband’s employment ended in northern Uganda four years ago. The loss of income, collapse of her own small business, and…
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…
Treating Depression at Scale in Africa. StrongMinds: Making a Connection Click on the link above to read our Spring 2017 newsletter.
On March 23, 2017, the StrongMinds Uganda (SMU) team officially launched its efforts in Iganga District, which is in the Eastern Region of the country. The festive event began with a marching band travelling throughout the heavily populated areas with SMU staff and patients marching behind the band. The parade finished and a crowd…
Specioza is a 28 years old woman. Her life in Uganda has not been easy. She was born with a heart valve condition, which has always impacted her life making it more difficult, and sometimes painful, to do things that many find normal. Last year, she was hospitalized for an extended period in Mulago Hospital…
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…
StrongMinds is ending the depression epidemic in Africa. 10,000 Women Helped in 3 Years Click on the link above to read our Winter 2016 newsletter.
On Friday, November 25, the StrongMinds Uganda team joined the Ministry of Health to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Day in Kampala. The StrongMinds Uganda stall with team spirit! The pioneers of StrongMinds Uganada’s Peer Therapy were invited to attend. Peer Therapy Group Facilitators with the Department…
As we move into the start of the last sessions of StrongMinds Therapy Groups for 2016 in Uganda, we wanted to share a few updates with you — and one of our many of success stories. Click here to view the newsletter online.
MEET WANYAMA, a 41-year-old widow, who lost her husband 4 years ago, and has lost 3 of her children to AIDS. Her depression score at pre- assessment was severe and she had no interest in joining the StrongMinds Talk Therapy Group but the Mental Health Facilitator kept encouraging her to join. During the initial therapy…
MEET DEBORAH, a 34-year-old widow and mother living with HIV. She lost her husband 6 years ago and is caring for their children. Life had become meaningless after testing positive and she even thought of committing suicide. When she first started the StrongMinds Talk Therapy Group she did not fully trust the other village women.…
StrongMinds Uganda has completed 2 phases of group talk therapy in 2015. Phase one: 584 Phase two: 714 Total talk therapy participants: 1,298 This is a 152% increase from 2014.
MEET SOPHIA, a 45-year-old single mother of six children in Kampala, Uganda. Years of prostitution triggered a deep and severe depression for Sophia. Her life in the Bwaise Slums was incredibly difficult, and her depression made caring for her family all that more challenging. A StrongMinds Mental Health Facilitator reached out to her, diagnosed her…
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…
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’…
