PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Shah, Manisha
AU  - Baird, Sarah
AU  - Seager, Jennifer
AU  - Avuwadah, Benjamin
AU  - Hamory, Joan
AU  - Sabarwal, Shwetlena
AU  - Vyas, Amita
TI  - Improving Mental Health of Adolescent Girls in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.1222-12707R2
DP  - 2023 Nov 07
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 1222-12707R2
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2023/11/01/jhr.1222-12707R2.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2023/11/01/jhr.1222-12707R2.full
AB  - 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.