Combining Money Help and Mind Skills to Stop Teen Depression

Objective
To test whether combining financial assistance with emotional regulation training can reduce anxiety and sadness among teens living in high‑poverty cities.

Study Settings

Countries: Colombia, Nepal, South Africa
Design: Cluster randomized trial—whole schools are randomly assigned to one of four groups.

Intervention Arms

Group	Focus
1	Money support only
2	Self‑control training only
3	Combined money + self‑control (full program)
4	Combined program with additional community support

Key Outcomes

Program completion rates – how many teens finish the curriculum.
Participant satisfaction – feedback from students and families.
Mental health impact – changes in self‑reported anxiety, sadness, and stress levels.

Potential Impact
If the pilot demonstrates feasibility and effectiveness, a larger rollout could adopt the winning mix of financial aid and mind training across more schools, offering a scalable model for low‑income urban areas worldwide.

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