StrongMinds exists to deliver life-changing mental healthcare to African women. Founded in 2013, the organisation has provided a simple, proven, and cost-effective group talk therapy to approximately 230,000 women and adolescents in Uganda and Zambia, positively transforming their psychological health, economic well-being, and the lives of their children.
An estimated 280 million people worldwide suffer from depression. In Africa, where women experience the disorder at twice the rate of men, depression is a leading cause of disability. When an African woman is depressed, her economic livelihood, resilience, and physical health diminish. Her children suffer from poorer school attendance and an increased risk of depression, illness, and injury. In underserved communities in Uganda and Zambia, StrongMinds finds depression prevalence rates of up to 25% among the women we screen. Yet, the services to treat these women are not in place.
StrongMinds’ solution is an innovative and rigorously tested therapeutic model to treat depression in vulnerable African communities. The model uses Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT-G) in a culturally adapted format delivered by local laypeople and volunteers. On average, over 80% of the women StrongMinds treats recover from depression at the conclusion of therapy and remain depression-free six months after treatment ends. These results are sustained years into their future.
Exponential growth is needed to end the depression epidemic in Africa. Over the past ten years, StrongMinds has built a robust program that demonstrates the efficacy of their methods and their ability to expand geographically and minimise costs. They have established winning partnerships with proven impact and significant return on investment. The organisation is now poised to scale their model through sustainable partnerships with governments and international non-governmental organisations, broadening the lasting social impact that is seen when women regain their mental health.
Yearly, StrongMinds serves over 100,000 women and adolescents, furthering their mission to end the depression epidemic in Africa.