Depression Treatment and Economic Empowerment

Depressive Symptoms Clinical Trial

— ASHA  

Official title:

The ASHA Project: Pilot Study of a Depression Treatment/Economic Empowerment

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04532008
• Other study ID #: 2013-2320
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 1, 2012
• Est. completion date: August 15, 2020

Study information

• Verified date: August 2020
• Source: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This pilot study randomized 48 depressed rural Bangladeshi housewives to either intervention or control groups. The intervention groups received depression treatment and a financial empowerment intervention.

Description:

This study was conducted in the rural Sirajganj region of Bangladesh. Working with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh and a local NGO, we recruited 48 depressed rural housewives for the study. Participants were randomized into intervention in control groups. The intervention groups (n=24) received 12 sessions of evidence based depression treatment, financial literacy education, agricultural training and skill building. They opened bank accounts and saved for six months. At the end of the six month period, participants who had met savings and attendance requirements received a cash transfer of approximately $186, which was used to purchase a productive asset. 22 participants purchased an agricultural animal, usually a goat; 1 financed a small retail business, and 1 leased land to grow crops for sale. Depression scores on the PHD-9 were sharply reduced. The study had 100% retention.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 48
• Est. completion date: August 15, 2020
• Est. primary completion date: September 1, 2014
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Female
• Age group: 18 Years to 40 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18-40

• PHQ greater than 10

• Able to save

• Able to read and write

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not in age range PhQ below 10 Unable to contribute to savings account Illiterate

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Depression
• Depressive Symptoms

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Group based treatment
12 sessions of group based therapy that included cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, and interpersonal therapy

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Albert Einstein College of Medicine	International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Depressive Symptoms	symptoms on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHD-9), ranging from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating worse outcomes	12 months post baseline
Secondary	Retention	Percentage of participants in the intervention group completing the intervention	Assessed at 12 Months post basline