Friendship Bench
Our mission is to create safe spaces and a sense of belonging in communities so as to enhance mental well being and improve quality of life through the use of problem solving therapy delivered by trained lay health workers.
Friendship bench. 4 years and 50 benches the past present and future for the friendship bench. The republic of zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern parts of africa. The friendship bench blog news events and support. This task shifting approach means we can deliver an effective affordable and sustainable solution to.
The friendship bench programme is an evidence based intervention developed in zimbabwe to bridge the mental health treatment gap. Roughly two years ago the idea of the friendship bench in zimbabwe was introduced as an answer to this deficiency in mental health care. Zimbabwe has a population of around 17 million. The friendship bench clinical team trains community health workers also known as lay health workers to provide basic cognitive behavioural therapy with an emphasis on problem solving therapy activity scheduling and peer led group support.
The friendship bench is a destination where secondary and post secondary students who are struggling to connect with others and find it difficult to ask for help can talk with someone willing to offer an ear to listen with a shoulder to cry on or just a hello. Upon his passing. The friendship bench project offers a brief psychological intervention addressing kufungisisa depression in primary care clinics in zimbabwe. Estimates show that one in four zimbabweans have anxiety and depression yet there are only 12 psychiatrists in the country.
Because the bench is in the day to day environment of the school it can be used at any time and for any reason from seemingly trivial matters to more serious concerns. The friendship bench is a means by which a child can seek support without the need to rationalize their feelings or to seek out a particular member of staff or special friend. The friendship bench started out as a research project and with cdn 1 million in funding from grand challenges canada in early 2016 the friendship bench program has since been scaled up to 72 clinics in the cities of harare gweru and chitungwiza total population 1 8 million. In october 2014 i lost my son to suicide after a long and very secret battle with depression.
The following groups are great options to consider when looking for. The friendship bench fb project is an evidence based intervention developed in zimbabwe to bridge the mental health treatment gap. The cognitive behavior therapy based intervention a problem solving approach is carried out by trained lay health workers. To date over 40 000 people have accessed treatment.