Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health · 13 authors, 16 centres
This summary was generated by AI from a single paper. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not clinical advice. Verify against the source before acting on it.
This conceptual review proposes that cash transfer programmes could improve youth mental health by targeting underlying cognitive and behavioural mechanisms, but evidence suggests they are a blunt instrument on their own. The authors call for future research to test how design elements, informed by behavioural economics, might optimize their impact.
This paper presents a conceptual framework and review examining how cash transfer programmes might improve the mental health and life chances of young people in poverty. The authors synthesize evidence and theories from behavioural economics and cognitive psychology, such as nudge theory, fresh start effects, and thinking slow, to propose potential design and implementation strategies. They note that while cash transfers show potential, they are a blunt instrument not specifically designed to improve mental health. The review identifies that more attention to cognitive, affective, and contextual barriers is needed. It highlights that integrating psychological support like cognitive behavioural therapy with cash transfers ('cash plus') may be more effective, citing an example from Liberia. The primary implication is a need for further research to understand how specific programme mechanisms and contextual factors interact to affect youth mental health outcomes. A limitation noted is the need for better understanding of how combined interventions work together.
