Intervention

You are the coordinator of an international nutrition program in refugee camps, including a refugee camp in
Tanzania. Most of the refugees in this camp have fled violence from the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
and the size of the camp is increasing because of the intensification of armed violence there. The nutrition
organization that you have been working for has been implementing programs to promote breastfeeding, and
appropriate infant and young child feeding practices. You have been told that program staff are facing
difficulties, and you decide to visit the site to see for yourself what is going on. In your meeting with some of the
community health workers who are implementing the program, you hear of women living in very challenging
circumstances. A group of women seems to be very tired and have lost the energy to engage with daily
routines. You suspect that mental health may play a role, and decide to ask further questions and write a report
about this to your organization’s headquarters.
You have conducted further assessments and found that maternal depression is indeed a major factor that
impacts women. Your organization responds positively to your report, and provides additional resources to
address maternal depression as part of your nutrition program.
Describe how you would develop an intervention, based on the following considerations:
Emic perspectives: Which qualitative research methods could you use to understand the causes and
consequences of emotional difficulties from the camp’s inhabitants perspectives?
Etic perspectives: What are some of the studied risk factors for depression that women may face in this
scenario (name at least 2)?
Protective factors: What are some of the studied protective factors for depression that women may benefit from
in this scenario (name at least 2)?
Intervention options: Name a treatment that has been shown to effectively reduce (maternal) depressive
symptoms. Who in the camps could potentially be trained to deliver the intervention?
If depression would indeed be a major concern, what types of interventions would be available.