J-PAL South Asia, IFMR

$220,000, matched co-funding by Bloom and Agency Fund

August 1, 2025

Pooled

J-PAL South Asia is conducting a study to evaluate community-based mental health interventions for elderly women in Tamil Nadu, India. Here, the elderly population is expected to triple by 2050 and depression affects nearly 30% of older adults. Elderly women, particularly in rural areas, face acute mobility and resource challenges and exhibit the highest rates of depression. This project tests two scalable interventions - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Facilitated Group Activities - delivered by government frontline workers. The team will assess impacts of the intervention on mental health, wellbeing, and agency, as well as potential spillover effects on family members. The project is led by Prof. Esther Duflo, Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at the Department of Economics at MIT; and co-founder and co-director of J-PAL.