| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Field Abstract | Before Migration is central to economic mobility among many of the world’s poor, opening the door to higher wages and human capital accumulation. Yet, rates of migration are much lower than predicted given the substantial wage premium available in urban areas (Roy 1951; Young 2013; Akram et al. 2017; Beegle et al. 2011; Bryan & Morten 2015). Many potential reasons for this puzzle have been examined, but much of the gap remains unexplained (Clemens 2014; Bryan et al. 2014; Munshi & Rosenzweig 2016; Morten 2016). In this project, we aim to increase the economic opportunities of young female migrants in India by addressing an additional growing global concern that may limit migration: loneliness and social isolation. We implement a low-cost scalable program delivered in garment factories to address loneliness and social isolation and thereby improve both the mental health and economic outcomes of the young female employees. We pair employees that recently migrated to work in those factories ("juniors") with seasoned employees who have been there for at least 7 months ("seniors"). Pairs of junior and senior buddies will be randomly assigned to a control arm (no intervention) or a treatment arm: social support, in which juniors and seniors are asked to meet regularly. During the meetings, the pair is prompted to discuss and perform activities intended to foster a closer emotional bond and a source of emotional comfort in a challenging new environment. The study will rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions on: a) loneliness and depression, b) social networks, including new links and their mental health, c) labor market outcomes, d) female empowerment, and e) self reported physical health and wellbeing. In measuring the flow of mental health through social networks, we aim to quantify the pathways through which the intervention operates and spillover effects. We plan to enroll 500 pairs (1000 participants) (in the RCT sample and up to 3 contacts per RCT participant (3000 total) in the social network sample. | After Migration is central to economic mobility among many of the world’s poor, opening the door to higher wages and human capital accumulation. Yet, rates of migration are much lower than predicted given the substantial wage premium available in urban areas (Roy 1951; Young 2013; Akram et al. 2017; Beegle et al. 2011; Bryan & Morten 2015). Many potential reasons for this puzzle have been examined, but much of the gap remains unexplained (Clemens 2014; Bryan et al. 2014; Munshi & Rosenzweig 2016; Morten 2016). In this project, we aim to increase the economic opportunities of young female migrants in India by addressing an additional growing global concern that may limit migration: loneliness and social isolation. We implement a low-cost scalable program delivered in garment factories to address loneliness and social isolation and thereby improve both the mental health and economic outcomes of the young female employees. We pair employees that recently migrated to work in those factories ("juniors") with seasoned employees who have been there for at least 6 months ("seniors"). Pairs of junior and senior buddies will be randomly assigned to a control arm (no intervention) or a treatment arm: social support, in which juniors and seniors are asked to meet regularly. During the meetings, the pair is prompted to discuss and perform activities intended to foster a closer emotional bond and a source of emotional comfort in a challenging new environment. The study will rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions on: a) loneliness and depression, b) social networks, including new links and their mental health, c) labor market outcomes, d) female empowerment, and e) self reported physical health and wellbeing. In measuring the flow of mental health through social networks, we aim to quantify the pathways through which the intervention operates and spillover effects. We plan to enroll 500 pairs (1000 participants) (in the RCT sample and up to 3 contacts per RCT participant (3000 total) in the social network sample. |
| Field Trial Start Date | Before March 01, 2022 | After January 28, 2023 |
| Field Last Published | Before March 13, 2023 12:27 PM | After March 19, 2023 05:01 PM |
| Field Intervention Start Date | Before March 15, 2022 | After January 29, 2023 |
| Field Intervention End Date | Before September 01, 2023 | After March 01, 2025 |
| Field Primary Outcomes (End Points) | Before The primary mental well-being outcome is loneliness, and the primary economic outcome is retention at the factory. | After The primary mental well-being outcome is loneliness, the primary economic outcome is retention at the factory. Additionally, we will measure social network link creation. |
| Field Primary Outcomes (Explanation) | Before Loneliness will be measured using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Version 3. Retention at the factory will be measured using firm administrative records. | After Loneliness will be measured using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Version 3. Retention at the factory will be measured using firm administrative records. Participant social network outcomes will be measured using surveys of the participant and some of their contacts. Social network measurement will be assisted using a newly developed tablet-based application, which we will test during piloting activities. |
| Field Experimental Design (Public) | Before RCT participants will be randomized to one of two experimental arms: Control - Participants in this arm would receive no intervention. Pairs are not introduced by the study. Treatment - Juniors will be introduced to a senior living in the same hostel and speaking the same language. This senior will meet with the junior for eight weeks and provide social support – The pair will be asked to do weekly activities that provide them with opportunities to form a friendship. They will be guided to discuss both practical topics (which can be very mentally costly when new to an environment -- e.g., where to buy medicine) and questions intended to create a closer bond (e.g. what would be a perfect day for you and why?) We plan to enroll 500 pairs of juniors and seniors (1000 participants) in the experiment. Juniors and seniors in the treatment and control arms will complete surveys at baseline, weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8 (intervention endline), and 3 and 6 months post-intervention. A comprehensive plan to track participants who leave the factory and return to their villages through phone surveys is in place. Three baseline contacts of each RCT participant will be enrolled in the social network sample (3000 participants). Social network participants will complete brief surveys at baseline and endline. | After RCT participants will be randomized to one of two experimental arms: Control - Participants in this arm would receive no intervention. Pairs are not introduced by the study. Treatment - Juniors will be introduced to a senior living in the same hostel and speaking the same language. This senior will meet with the junior for eight weeks and provide social support – The pair will be asked to do weekly activities that provide them with opportunities to form a friendship. They will be guided to discuss both practical topics (which can be very mentally costly when new to an environment -- e.g., where to buy medicine) and questions intended to create a closer bond (e.g. what would be a perfect day for you and why?) We plan to enroll 500 pairs of juniors and seniors (1000 participants) in the experiment. Juniors and seniors in the treatment and control arms will complete surveys at baseline, weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8 (intervention endline), and 3 and 6 months post-intervention. A comprehensive plan to track participants who leave the factory and return to their villages through phone surveys is in place. Up to three baseline contacts of each RCT participant will be enrolled in the social network sample (i.e. up to 3000 participants). Social network participants will complete brief surveys at baseline and endline. |
| Field Randomization Method | Before Randomization will be conducted using Stata. | After Randomization will be conducted using R. |
| Field Randomization Unit | Before First, junior and senior migrants will be paired randomly, conditional on language and hostel. Pairs are then randomized across experimental arms. The randomization of pairs will be stratified by above/below-median baseline loneliness of the junior as well as the arrival “batch” of the junior. We stratify on loneliness because it is both a crucial “first-stage” outcome and our pilot suggested heterogeneous effects by baseline loneliness. We will also stratify by the “batch” of junior migrants arriving from the same training center given the temporal and geographic clustering. As pairs are randomized, analyses will be clustered at the pair level, with the exception of analyses of the junior and senior separately. After baseline, outcomes may be measured once per participant (e.g. retention, mental health of social network contacts, etc) or at multiple points (e.g. loneliness, productivity, attendance, etc). Analyses of outcomes with multiple measurements after baseline will be clustered at the individual level. | After First, junior and senior migrants will be paired randomly, conditional on language and hostel. Pairs are then randomized across experimental arms. As pairs are randomized, analyses will be clustered at the pair level, with the exception of analyses of the junior and senior separately. After baseline, outcomes may be measured once per participant (e.g. retention, mental health of social network contacts, etc) or at multiple points (e.g. loneliness, productivity, attendance, etc). Analyses of outcomes with multiple measurements after baseline will be clustered at the individual level. |
| Field Public analysis plan | Before No | After Yes |
| Field Secondary Outcomes (End Points) | Before Secondary mental well-being outcomes are depression, self-reported well-being, and an index combining mental health outcomes. Secondary economic outcomes are productivity and attendance. We will also measure female empowerment, self-reported physical health, and participant social networks, including new links and their mental well-being. | After Secondary mental well-being outcomes are depression, self-reported well-being, and an index combining mental health outcomes. Secondary economic outcomes are productivity and attendance. In addition we will create an index based on participants' social networks. We will also measure female empowerment and self-reported physical health. |
| Field Secondary Outcomes (Explanation) | Before Depression will be measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire. Self reported well-being will be measured using the Gallup life satisfaction survey question and the Cantril Ladder. Productivity and attendance will be measured using firm administrative records. Female empowerment and self-reported physical health will be measured using survey questions informed by J-PAL’s “A Practical Guide to Measuring Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in Impact Evaluations” and the Longitudinal Survey of Aging in India (LASI). Participant social network outcomes will be measured using surveys of the participant and some of their contacts. Social network measurement will be assisted using a newly developed tablet-based application, which we will test during piloting activities. After assessing whether the new application and mapping protocol can accurately measure networks in the study context at scale, we may write a second paper with social network measures as the primary outcomes. In addition, further outcomes and analyses have been proposed in a related but distinct funding application. If that work is funded, we will register that work on clinicaltrials.gov. | After Depression will be measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire. Self reported well-being will be measured using the Gallup life satisfaction survey question. Productivity and attendance will be measured using firm administrative records. Female empowerment and self-reported physical health will be measured using survey questions informed by J-PAL’s “A Practical Guide to Measuring Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in Impact Evaluations” and the Longitudinal Survey of Aging in India (LASI). |
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Field Document | Before |
After
pap_loneliness_20230319.pdf
MD5:
2076672a06cb94f8416dc5c619f2937c
SHA1:
b77840543f968d49fbbdab80b3457846b4cccb38
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| Field Title | Before | After Loneliness and Migration Pre-Analysis Plan |