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Hairdressers and well-being: local services provision and mental health first response

Author

Listed:
  • Björn Nilsson

    (Faculté Jean Monnet, Université Paris-Saclay, Sceaux, France)

  • Clémence Pougué Biyong

    (Africa Gender Innovation Lab, The World Bank, Washington DC, USA)

Abstract

Mental health is globally underfunded. In low-income settings, innovative and layman solutions may constitute alternatives to formal medical systems. We evaluate an innovative program training hairdressers to act as first responders to manifestations of mental health issues. 73 hairdressers were trained in active listening. We find some evidence that the training improved hairdresser-customer interactions, but found no effect on the mental health of customers. We also found that training worsened mental health outcomes for hairdressers, and speculate that this has to do with reduced stigma and improved self-evaluative capacities, showing that both customers and hairdressers updated their beliefs about mental health. These results suggest that training alone in a context with stigma and poor mental health awareness may not be enough to measurably improve mental health outcomes, and future similar interventions may want to consider combining training with subsidized access to care, at least in an initial phase.

Suggested Citation

  • Björn Nilsson & Clémence Pougué Biyong, 2025. "Hairdressers and well-being: local services provision and mental health first response," Working Papers DT/2025/02, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
  • Handle: RePEc:dia:wpaper:dt202502
    as

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    File URL: https://dial.ird.fr/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025-02-Hbh_WP.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2025
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    mental health; well-being; Sub-Saharan Africa; female empowerment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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