Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Connect
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • Request JHR at your library
  • Alerts
  • Free Issue
  • Special Issue
  • Other Publications
    • UWP

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Human Resources
  • Other Publications
    • UWP
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Human Resources

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Connect
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • Request JHR at your library
  • Alerts
  • Free Issue
  • Special Issue
  • Follow uwp on Twitter
  • Follow JHR on Bluesky
Research ArticleArticles
Open Access

Improving Mental Health of Adolescent Girls in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Causal Evidence from Life Skills Programming

Manisha Shah, Sarah Baird, Jennifer Seager, Benjamin Avuwadah, Joan Hamory, Shwetlena Sabarwal and Amita Vyas
Published online before print November 07, 2023, 1222-12707R2; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.1222-12707R2
Manisha Shah
Manisha Shah* is Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Research Associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Sarah Baird
Sarah Baird is Professor of Global Health and Economics in the Department of Global Health at George Washington University.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jennifer Seager
Jennifer Seager is an Associate Professor of Global Health and Economics at George Washington University.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Benjamin Avuwadah
Benjamin Avuwadah is a Post-Doctoral Scientist in the Department of Global Health at George Washington University.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Joan Hamory
Joan Hamory is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Oklahoma.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Shwetlena Sabarwal
Shwetlena Sabarwal is a Senior Economist at the Education Global Practice of The World Bank.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Amita Vyas
Amita Vyas is an Associate Professor at George Washington University.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

This study provides causal evidence on the impact of life skills programming on the mental health of adolescent girls aged 10-19 in three distinct low- and middle-income countries: Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia. Life skills interventions significantly improved a component of mental health in all three contexts, with reductions in depression in Tanzania, and improvements in socio-emotional development in Bangladesh and Ethiopia. However, findings suggest substantial heterogeneity in impact. Programs that target both adolescent boys and girls appear more effective than those that target girls alone, and existing supportive environments are a necessary condition for programs to improve mental health.

This open access article is distributed under the terms of the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) and is freely available online at: http://jhr.uwpress.org

PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Human Resources: 60 (3)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 60, Issue 3
1 May 2025
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Index by author
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Human Resources.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Improving Mental Health of Adolescent Girls in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Human Resources
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Human Resources web site.
Citation Tools
Improving Mental Health of Adolescent Girls in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Manisha Shah, Sarah Baird, Jennifer Seager, Benjamin Avuwadah, Joan Hamory, Shwetlena Sabarwal, Amita Vyas
Journal of Human Resources Nov 2023, 1222-12707R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.1222-12707R2

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Improving Mental Health of Adolescent Girls in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Manisha Shah, Sarah Baird, Jennifer Seager, Benjamin Avuwadah, Joan Hamory, Shwetlena Sabarwal, Amita Vyas
Journal of Human Resources Nov 2023, 1222-12707R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.1222-12707R2
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
Bookmark this article

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Supplemental
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • The Economics of Child Mental Health: Introducing the Causes and Consequences of Child Mental Health Special Issue
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Heterogeneous Returns to Active Labour Market Programs for Indigenous Populations
  • Leadership & Gender Composition in Managerial Positions
  • The Impact of Paid Family Leave on Families with Health Shocks
Show more Articles

Similar Articles

UW Press logo

© 2025 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Powered by HighWire