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 Africa is no stranger to war, famine, plagues, or natural disasters. Prior to the AIDS generation, however, most African languages had no word for depression, a condition which costs American business $44 billion a year. A recent survey of two AIDS-stricken districts of Uganda found that 21 percent of the residents were clinically depressed, many of them suicidal.
Now, a ground-breaking treatment is leading to dramatic, sustainable improvements for African individuals and families suffering from depression. The new treatment is the result of a peer-counseling program coordinated by World Vision and Johns Hopkins University.
World Vision trained peer counselors to conduct weekly self-help sessions. World Vision and Johns Hopkins studied the progress of people who participated in the groups, as well as those who received no treatment. Of the 107 Ugandans treated for depression in the study group, only three remained measurably depressed at program’s end. Meanwhile, the 117-person control group, which received no treatment for depression, experienced markedly less success, with 49 participants remaining depressed.
According to the findings, a depressed person without help is 25 times more likely to remain depressed and dysfunctional than one who participates in the treatment program. “One of the most exciting parts of the whole intervention is that it can be run by local volunteers, with a small number of skilled staff,” says Nigel Marsh, World Vision’s HIV/AIDS communications officer.
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