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How it Started

Our program is based on the Friendship Bench model, originally developed in Zimbabwe by Dr. Dixon Chibanda. Watch the video to see how it all started. For further information on the Friendship Bench, check out the following resources:

“The Friendship Bench”, Centre for Global Mental Health, https://www.centreforglobalmentalhealth.org/the-friendship-bench

Why I train grandmothers to treat depression | Dixon Chibanda, TED on Youtube, https://youtu.be/Cprp_EjVtwA

Chibanda D, Weiss HA, Verhey R, et al. Effect of a Primary Care–Based Psychological Intervention on Symptoms of Common Mental Disorders in Zimbabwe: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2016;316(24):2618–2626. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.19102