IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0232588.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cash assistance programming and changes over time in ability to meet basic needs, food insecurity and depressive symptoms in Raqqa Governorate, Syria: Evidence from a mixed methods, pre-posttest

Author

Listed:
  • Kathryn L Falb
  • Alexandra H Blackwell
  • Julianne Stennes
  • Jeannie Annan

Abstract

Raqqa Governorate has been grappling with dual crisis-related burdens from the civil conflict and ISIS occupation. As part of a response to support households within this area, a three-month, unconditional cash assistance program was implemented by the International Rescue Committee to help households meet their basic needs. A quantitative, pre-posttest with 512 women at baseline (n = 456 at endline) was conducted in northern Raqqa Governorate between March-August 2018 to determine their experiences in this cash assistance program and to understand perceived change over time in food insecurity, perceived household serious needs and daily stressors, and depressive symptoms before and after cash was delivered. Forty women also completed in-depth interviews using a life line history technique at endline. Linear household fixed effects models demonstrated significant reductions in food insecurity (β = -0.95; 95%CI: -1.19–-0.71), no change in perceived serious household needs and daily stressors (β = 0.12; 95%CI: -0.24–0.48), and increases in depressive symptoms (β = 0.89; 95%CI: 0.34–1.43) before and after the period of cash distribution. Although no causality can be inferred, short-term emergency cash assistance programming yielded significant improvements in food security, was highly acceptable and viewed favorably, and assisted women and their families to meet their basic needs in this emergency setting. However, before and after this form of cash assistance was implemented, no meaningful changes in the perceived levels of serious needs and stressors amongst households were observed, but potential increases in depressive symptoms for women were reported during this time period. Further work is needed to determine appropriate targeting, length, and dosage of cash, alongside any potential livelihood, psychosocial, or structural complementary programming to yield potential positive mental health benefits of a cash assistance program focused on meeting a population’s basic needs while not inadvertently delaying or decreasing reach of life-saving cash assistance programming in emergencies.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathryn L Falb & Alexandra H Blackwell & Julianne Stennes & Jeannie Annan, 2020. "Cash assistance programming and changes over time in ability to meet basic needs, food insecurity and depressive symptoms in Raqqa Governorate, Syria: Evidence from a mixed methods, pre-posttest," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(5), pages 1-15, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0232588
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232588
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0232588
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0232588&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0232588?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Angeles, Gustavo & de Hoop, Jacobus & Handa, Sudhanshu & Kilburn, Kelly & Milazzo, Annamaria & Peterman, Amber, 2019. "Government of Malawi's unconditional cash transfer improves youth mental health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 108-119.
    2. Ana Maria Buller & Amber Peterman & Meghna Ranganathan & Alexandra Bleile & Melissa Hidrobo & Lori Heise, 2018. "A Mixed-Method Review of Cash Transfers and Intimate Partner Violence in Low- and Middle-Income Countries," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 33(2), pages 218-258.
    3. Brück, Tilman & d’Errico, Marco & Pietrelli, Rebecca, 2019. "The effects of violent conflict on household resilience and food security: Evidence from the 2014 Gaza conflict," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 203-223.
    4. Hjelm, Lisa & Handa, Sudhanshu & de Hoop, Jacobus & Palermo, Tia, 2017. "Poverty and perceived stress: Evidence from two unconditional cash transfer programs in Zambia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 110-117.
    5. Hannah Tappis & Shannon Doocy, 2018. "The effectiveness and value for money of cash-based humanitarian assistance: a systematic review," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 121-144, January.
    6. Semrau, M. & Van Ommeren, M. & Blagescu, M. & Griekspoor, A. & Howard, L.M. & Jordans, M. & Lempp, H. & Marini, A. & Pedersen, J. & Pilotte, I. & Slade, M. & Thornicroft, G., 2012. "The development and psychometric properties of the humanitarian emergency settings perceived needs (HESPER) scale," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(10), pages 55-63.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. McGuire, Joel & Kaiser, Caspar & Bach-Mortensen, Anders, 2020. "The impact of cash transfers on subjective well-being and mental health in low- and middle- income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis," SocArXiv ydr54, Center for Open Science.
    2. Roelen, Keetie & Saha, Amrita, 2021. "Pathways to stronger futures? The role of social protection in reducing psychological risk factors for child development in Haiti," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    3. Andersen, Asbjørn G. & Kotsadam, Andreas & Somville, Vincent, 2022. "Material resources and well-being — Evidence from an Ethiopian housing lottery," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    4. Kelly Kilburn & Lucia Ferrone & Audrey Pettifor & Ryan Wagner & F. Xavier Gómez-Olivé & Kathy Kahn, 2020. "The Impact of a Conditional Cash Transfer on Multidimensional Deprivation of Young Women: Evidence from South Africa’s HTPN 068," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 151(3), pages 865-895, October.
    5. Mahmud, Mahreen & Riley, Emma, 2021. "Household response to an extreme shock: Evidence on the immediate impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on economic outcomes and well-being in rural Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    6. Odozi, John Chiwuzulum & Uwaifo Oyelere, Ruth, 2021. "Does violent conflict affect the labor supply of farm households? The Nigerian experience," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 50(3), pages 401-435, December.
    7. Christophe Béné & Timothy Frankenberger & Tiffany Griffin & Mark Langworthy & Monica Mueller & Stephanie Martin, 2019. "‘Perception matters’: New insights into the subjective dimension of resilience in the context of humanitarian and food security crises," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 19(3), pages 186-210, July.
    8. Abderrahman Yassine & Fatima Bakass, 2022. "Do Education and Employment Play a Role in Youth’s Poverty Alleviation? Evidence from Morocco," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-25, September.
    9. Díaz, Juan-José & Saldarriaga, Victor, 2023. "A drop of love? Rainfall shocks and spousal abuse: Evidence from rural Peru," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    10. Samuel Scott & Alejandra Arrieta & Neha Kumar & Purnima Menon & Agnes Quisumbing, 2020. "Multidimensional predictors of common mental disorders among Indian mothers of 6- to 24-month-old children living in disadvantaged rural villages with women’s self-help groups: A cross-sectional analy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, June.
    11. Pakrashi, Debayan & Saha, Sarani, 2020. "Intergenerational consequences of maternal domestic violence: Effect on nutritional status of children," GLO Discussion Paper Series 551, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    12. Seth R. Gitter & James Manley & Jill Bernstein & Paul Winters, 2022. "Do agricultural support and cash transfer programmes improve nutritional status?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(1), pages 203-235, January.
    13. Gustavo J Bobonis & Roberto Castro & Juan S Morales, 2020. "Legal Reforms, Conditional Cash Transfers, and Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from Mexico," Working Papers tecipa-678, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    14. Maguire-Jack, Kathryn & Hardi, Felicia & Stormer, Bri & Lee, Joyce Y. & Feely, Megan & Rostad, Whitney & Ford, Derek C. & Merrick, Melissa T. & Murphy, Catherine A. & Bart. Klika, J., 2022. "Early childhood education and care policies in the U.S. And their impact on family violence," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    15. Barrington, Clare & Peterman, Amber & Akaligaung, Akalpa J. & Palermo, Tia & de Milliano, Marlous & Aborigo, Raymond A., 2022. "‘Poverty can break a home’: Exploring mechanisms linking cash plus programming and intimate partner violence in Ghana," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    16. Francesco Bogliacino & Cristiano Codagnone & Frans Folkvord & Francisco Lupiáñez-Villanueva, 2023. "The impact of labour market shocks on mental health: evidence from the Covid-19 first wave," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 40(3), pages 899-930, October.
    17. Ouoba, Youmanli & Sawadogo, Natéwindé, 2022. "Food security, poverty and household resilience to COVID-19 in Burkina Faso: Evidence from urban small traders’ households," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    18. Marta Domini & Sunny Guidotti Pererira & Aye Win & Daniele Lantagne, 2023. "Qualitative analysis of cash‐based interventions for water, sanitation, and hygiene operations and maintenance in internally displaced persons sites in Kachin, Myanmar," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(2), pages 260-271, March.
    19. Adong, Annet & Kornher, Lukas & Kiptoo Kirui, Oliver & von Braun, Joachim, 2021. "Conflict exposure and food consumption pathways during and after conflict: Evidence from Northern Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    20. Barituka Bekee & Corinne Valdivia, 2023. "Resilience of Rural Households: Insights from a Multidisciplinary Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0232588. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.