Hundreds of grandmothers on Friendship Benches in Zimbabwe and beyond are helping tackle mental health challenges in communities using talk therapies.
The celebrated Friendship Bench, now 10 years in the making, is a model that brings together grandmothers, basic cognitive behavioral therapy and community support. In Zimbabwe, it's been used to expand mental health outreach in a country with about a dozen psychiatrists in a population of approximately 15 million people.
Zimbabwe psychiatrist and founder Dixon Chibanda said the team behind the Friendship Bench has added voice calls and online alternatives amid the global spread of coronavirus. Clinical trials so far show the model's success, though it continues to evolve, he said.
Access to critical mental health services was disrupted or halted in over 90% of countries worldwide during the pandemic, a World Health Organization survey in October revealed.
"We face a parallel pandemic of poor mental health, but in adversity lies opportunity," WHO Europe Regional Director Hans Kluge said in January.
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