Suubi4StrongerFamilies (2022 – 2027)

Suubi4StrongerFamilies: Addressing Child Behavioral Health by Strengthening Financial Stability and Parenting among Families in Uganda

Principal Investigators: Fred M. Ssewamala, PhD, Mary M. McKay, PhD 

Project Team Members: Ozge Sensoy Bahar, PhD, Proscovia Nabunya, PhD, Shenyang Gou, PhD, Noeline Nakasujja, PhD (Makerere University), Torsten Neilands, PhD (University of California San Francisco)

Implementing Partner: Abel Mwebembezi, PhD (Reach the Youth Uganda)

Field Coordinator: Phionah Namatovu, MPH,

Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Suubi4StrongerFamilies will examine the mechanisms by which Economic Empowerment (EE) and Family Strengthening (FS) interventions targeting social, familial, and context-specific drivers affect childhood behavioral health among adolescents in primary schools in Uganda.

The study will recruit 900 children in mid-upper primary school (10 to 14 years) from 30 primary schools. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, 12, 24 and 36 months. Interventions will be provided over 12 months and will include:

1. Economic Empowerment targeting family financial stability and investment in the protection of children (via incentivized matched child development accounts, financial literacy training, income-generating activ
   ities, and mentorship); 

2. Family Strengthening intervention utilizing basic principles of behavioral supports, parent-child relationships, and involvement.

Suubi4StrongerFamilies will enable us to implement combination interventions that simultaneously target SSA-specific influences on child behavioral health, such as family financial stability, culturally-based parenting, and can be delivered in collaboration with child/family-serving community settings, including schools, faith-based and financial institutions.