Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41489586›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine2026

Exploring Mediators of an Economic Empowerment Intervention (Suubi4Her) on Hopelessness and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescent Girls in Uganda.

Rachel Brathwaite, Samuel Kizito, Torsten B Neilands, Vicent Ssentumbwe, Flavia Namuwonge, Phionah Namatovu, Proscovia Nabunya, Fred M Ssewamala

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Article in The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Rachel BrathwaiteInternational Center for Child Health and Development, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Samuel KizitoSilver School of Social Work, New York University, New York, New York.
Torsten B NeilandsDivision of Prevention Science, University of California, San Francisco, California.
Vicent SsentumbweInternational Center for Child Health and Development, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Flavia NamuwongeInternational Center for Child Health and Development, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Phionah NamatovuInternational Center for Child Health and Development, Masaka, Uganda.
Proscovia NabunyaInternational Center for Child Health and Development, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Fred M SsewamalaSilver School of Social Work, New York University, New York, New York. Electronic address: fs3028@nyu.edu.

Funding

Suubi4HER Round 2: Examining the Long-term Impact of A Combination Interventionon HIV Prevention, Care and Mental Health for Adolescents and Young Women in UgandaR01MH113486 · NIMH · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Noeline Nakasujja, FRED M SSEWAMALA · 2017 to 2026
$5.8M
NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH113486
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeA community-based economic empowerment and family strengthening intervention (Suubi4Her) has shown positive effects in decreasing depressive symptoms and hopelessness among adolescent girls. However, the specific mechanisms underlying these positive outcomes were unclear. We examined the intervention effects of Suubi4Her on key mediators (including family cohesion, social support, and confidence in saving) and their subsequent influence on two critical psychological outcomes-depressive symptoms and hopelessness-over 24 months.

methodsWe analyzed data from 1,260 Ugandan adolescent girls and employed the Mitchell and Maxwell's cross-lagged auto-regressive approach for mediation assessment. This involved regressing outcome scores at each wave against intervention group assignment and scores from the previous wave. Correlations between residuals for mediators and outcomes at each wave as well as regression pathways from each covariate to the mediators and outcomes at subsequent waves were included in the model as random variables.

resultsThe intervention significantly reduced depressive symptoms and hopelessness indirectly. Crucially, family cohesion and social support, but not confidence in saving at 12 months, were identified as significant mediators. Depressive symptoms and hopelessness at 12-month follow-up mediated the intervention's effect on depressive symptoms and hopelessness at 24 months. Additionally, a significant direct effect of the intervention on these outcomes suggested partial mediation. DISCUSSION: Our findings endorse community-based family group interventions as effective in enhancing mental health among adolescent girls, emphasizing the importance of strong family relationships and social support networks.

Indexed as

DepressionEmpowermentAdolescentFamily RelationsFemaleHumansSocial SupportUgandaAdolescent girls and young womenLow-resource settingMediation analysisPovertySub-Saharan Africa

Identifiers

PMID41489586
PMCPMC13068019

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