The Nonlinear Library EA - Vida Plena: Transforming Mental Health in Ecuador - First Year Updates and Marginal Funding Opportunity by Joy Bittner
Nov 19, 2023
17:55
Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Vida Plena: Transforming Mental Health in Ecuador - First Year Updates and Marginal Funding Opportunity, published by Joy Bittner on November 19, 2023 on The Effective Altruism Forum.
TLDR
Vida Plena is a nonprofit organization that is tackling Ecuador's mental health crisis through cost-effective, proven group therapy led by local leaders from within vulnerable communities. We do this through the direct implementation of Group Interpersonal Therapy, which is the
WHO's recommended intervention for depression. We are the first to implement it in Latin America.
We launched in early 2022 (see our
introductory EA forum post) and took part in the Charity Entrepreneurship Incubator program that same year. In the fall of 2022, we carried out a proof concept alongside Columbia University, which found positive results (see
our internal report, and
the report from the Columbia University Global Mental Health Lab).
So far this year, we've made a positive impact on the lives of 500 individuals, consistently showing significant improvements in both depression and anxiety. Our strategic partnerships with local institutions are flourishing, laying the groundwork for our ambitious goal of scaling our reach to treat 2,000 people in 2024.
For this marginal funding proposal, we seek $200,000 to expand our work and conduct research to apply behavioral science insights to further depression treatment in Latin America. This enhanced therapy model will be evaluated through rapid impact assessments, deepening the evidence base for our work, and culminating in a white paper and a RCT in 2025. We also share additional ways to support our work.
This post was written by Joy Bittner and Anita Kaslin, Vida Plena's co-founders. In it, we share:
An overview of Vida Plena and our work
The scope and scale of the problem we are addressing
Our solution and the evidence base
Our initial results to date
Present our proposal for marginal funding opportunities
Additional funding opportunities and how you can support our work
1) An Overview of Vida Plena and Our Work
Problem:
Mental health disorders are a burgeoning global public health challenge and disproportionately affect the poor. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
bear 80 % of the mental health disease burden. Mental illness and substance abuse disorders are significant contributors to the disease burden,
constituting 8.8% and 16.6% of the total burden of disease in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. According to The Wellcome Global Monitor on Mental Health, the largest survey of depression and anxiety rates worldwide, Latin America exhibits the highest rates globally.
This situation is worsened by low public investment.
Despite a 2021 Gallup poll ranking Ecuador among the top 10 worst countries in the world for emotional health,
only 0.04% of the national healthcare budget is dedicated to mental health - 9x less than other Latin American countries. Therefore, most mental health conditions, especially depression, go untreated.
Depression is defined by intense feelings of hopelessness and despair. The result is suffering in all areas of life: physical, social, and professional. Untreated depression's repercussions extend to
daily economic and life decisions, impairing attention, memory, and cognitive flexibility. This hampers personal agency and worsens the
cycle of poverty and mental disorders. Poor mental health is associated with a host of other issues: chronic medical conditions, drug abuse, lower educational achievement, lower life expectancy, and
exclusion from social and professional arenas. As a result, it's not surprising that health problems are related to economic factors such as
loss of productivity,
absenteeism (both for the patients and caregivers), and
financial strain due to the cost of care.
Conversely,
research unders...
TLDR
Vida Plena is a nonprofit organization that is tackling Ecuador's mental health crisis through cost-effective, proven group therapy led by local leaders from within vulnerable communities. We do this through the direct implementation of Group Interpersonal Therapy, which is the
WHO's recommended intervention for depression. We are the first to implement it in Latin America.
We launched in early 2022 (see our
introductory EA forum post) and took part in the Charity Entrepreneurship Incubator program that same year. In the fall of 2022, we carried out a proof concept alongside Columbia University, which found positive results (see
our internal report, and
the report from the Columbia University Global Mental Health Lab).
So far this year, we've made a positive impact on the lives of 500 individuals, consistently showing significant improvements in both depression and anxiety. Our strategic partnerships with local institutions are flourishing, laying the groundwork for our ambitious goal of scaling our reach to treat 2,000 people in 2024.
For this marginal funding proposal, we seek $200,000 to expand our work and conduct research to apply behavioral science insights to further depression treatment in Latin America. This enhanced therapy model will be evaluated through rapid impact assessments, deepening the evidence base for our work, and culminating in a white paper and a RCT in 2025. We also share additional ways to support our work.
This post was written by Joy Bittner and Anita Kaslin, Vida Plena's co-founders. In it, we share:
An overview of Vida Plena and our work
The scope and scale of the problem we are addressing
Our solution and the evidence base
Our initial results to date
Present our proposal for marginal funding opportunities
Additional funding opportunities and how you can support our work
1) An Overview of Vida Plena and Our Work
Problem:
Mental health disorders are a burgeoning global public health challenge and disproportionately affect the poor. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
bear 80 % of the mental health disease burden. Mental illness and substance abuse disorders are significant contributors to the disease burden,
constituting 8.8% and 16.6% of the total burden of disease in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. According to The Wellcome Global Monitor on Mental Health, the largest survey of depression and anxiety rates worldwide, Latin America exhibits the highest rates globally.
This situation is worsened by low public investment.
Despite a 2021 Gallup poll ranking Ecuador among the top 10 worst countries in the world for emotional health,
only 0.04% of the national healthcare budget is dedicated to mental health - 9x less than other Latin American countries. Therefore, most mental health conditions, especially depression, go untreated.
Depression is defined by intense feelings of hopelessness and despair. The result is suffering in all areas of life: physical, social, and professional. Untreated depression's repercussions extend to
daily economic and life decisions, impairing attention, memory, and cognitive flexibility. This hampers personal agency and worsens the
cycle of poverty and mental disorders. Poor mental health is associated with a host of other issues: chronic medical conditions, drug abuse, lower educational achievement, lower life expectancy, and
exclusion from social and professional arenas. As a result, it's not surprising that health problems are related to economic factors such as
loss of productivity,
absenteeism (both for the patients and caregivers), and
financial strain due to the cost of care.
Conversely,
research unders...