The impact of cash transfers, coaching and mental health counseling on victimized women in Uganda

Last registered on October 18, 2024

View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

The impact of cash transfers, coaching and mental health counseling on victimized women in Uganda

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0014521

Initial registration date

October 08, 2024

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

October 18, 2024, 4:37 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name

Danila Serra

Affiliation

Texas A&M University

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Alessadra Cassar

PI Affiliation

University of San Francisco

PI Name

Eeshani Kandpal

PI Affiliation

Center for Global Development

PI Name

Miranda Lambert

PI Affiliation

Texas A&M University

Additional Trial Information

Status

On going

Start date

2024-04-01

End date

2026-12-31

Keywords

Crime, Violence, & Conflict, Gender, Health, Post-conflict

Additional Keywords

JEL code(s)

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

Due to the war in Northern Uganda between the 1980s and mid-2000s, thousands of girls were severely victimized, including through abductions for the purpose of forced labor and early marriages. This project examines the impact of interventions targeting women who, as children, were affected by these experiences. In collaboration with a local NGO, we implement a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving over 800 women in the war-affected Kitgum district of Uganda. The majority of the women in the sample were abducted as children by the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) during the war. In summer 2024, the women were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 1) a control group; 2) a group receiving weekly cash transfer for 14 weeks (T1); 3) a group receiving weekly cash transfers plus group-based coaching on intra-household relationships, parenting, health and nutrition practices (T2); 4) a group receiving weekly cash transfers plus group-based mental health counseling (T3). We assess the impact of the interventions on economic outcomes, mental health indicators, measures of social support, and measures of intra-household decision-making, including bargaining and conflict.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Cassar, Alessadra et al. 2024. "The impact of cash transfers, coaching and mental health counseling on victimized women in Uganda." AEA RCT Registry. October 18. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.14521-1.0

Sponsors & Partners

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

In collaboration with a local NGO, we implement a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving over 800 women in the war-affected Kitgum district of Uganda.The majority of the women in the sample were abducted as children by the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) during the war, which took place between the 1980s and the mid-2000s. In summer 2024, the women were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 1) a control group; 2) a group receiving weekly cash transfer for 14 weeks (T1); 3) a group receiving weekly cash transfers plus group-based coaching on intra-household relationships, parenting, health and nutrition practices (T2); 4) a group receiving weekly cash transfers plus group-based mental health counseling (T3). We assess the impact of the interventions on economic outcomes, mental health indicators, measures of social support, and measures of intra-household decision-making, including bargaining and conflict.

Intervention Start Date

2024-07-22

Intervention End Date

2024-11-09

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

- Psychological well-being: Edinburgh Post-Natal Depression Scale and Cohen Stress index.
- Economic and financial outcomes: economic activity, income and savings
- Intra-household decision-making and bargaining: resource allocation, conflict with spouse and co-wives, domestic violence (involving spouse, co-wives, children)
- Social support: Maternity Social Support Scale (MSSS) 6-item index, and the brief version (8 items) of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (mMOS-SS).

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

- Future outlook and optimism for self and children;
- Stress response strategies: Flight, fight, tend and befriend strategies compiled from 16 survey questions;
- Spouse’s and children’s economic and education outcomes;
- Children’s well-being (physical and psychological) and parenting practices;
- Marital outcomes;
- Gender attitudes.

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

The study involves 816 women between the ages of 23 and 49, recruited with the help of local leaders from 3 parishes and 33 villages in the Kitgum district of Northern Uganda.
The women were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups:
- Control: 207 women
- T1 (Cash): 201 women received $3 (10,000 Shilling) for 14 weeks
- T2 (Cash + coaching): 203 women, further randomized into 37 groups, were invited to weekly group meetings where they received cash ($3) and coaching, for 14 weeks.
- T3 (Cash + mental health counseling): 205 women, further randomized into 36 groups, were invited to weekly group meetings where they received cash ($3) and counseling, for 14 weeks.

Experimental Design Details

Not available

Randomization Method

Individual-level randomization done in office by computer. The randomization was stratified at the parish level.

Randomization Unit

Individual-level randomization.The women were first randomized into treatment groups (C, T1, T2 and T3). Those assigned to T2 and T3 were further randomized into groups of 5 to 7 women.

Was the treatment clustered?

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

Individual-level randomization into treatment groups. 816 women in total.

Sample size: planned number of observations

816 women in total.

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

816 women in total, 207 in Control, 201 in T1, 203 in T2 and 205 in T3.

In T2 and T3, women are randomly assigned to groups of 5 to 7 women.

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name

Univeristy of San Francisco IRB

IRB Approval Date

2024-03-21

IRB Approval Number

IRB Protocol #1549

IRB Name

Texas A&M University IRB

IRB Approval Date

2024-04-08

IRB Approval Number

STUDY2024-0478

IRB Name

Uganda National Council for Science and Technology

IRB Approval Date

2023-09-19

IRB Approval Number

SS1930ES

Analysis Plan