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Building resilience through psychological intervention

Author

Listed:
  • Escobar Carías, Michelle

    (Business School, Newcastle University)

  • Baranov, Victoria

    (Department of Economics, University of Melbourne)

  • Bhalotra, Sonia

    (Department of Economics, University of Warwick)

  • Biroli, Pietro

    (Department of Economics, University of Bologna)

  • Maselko, Joanna

    (Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina)

Abstract

Does past treatment for depression create resilience to future shocks? We study a randomized CBT-based intervention for prenatally depressed mothers in Pakistan and exploit variation in COVID-19 restriction stringency six years after childbirth. Treated women were protected against restriction-induced anxiety, depression, comorbidity, and functional impairment. Pro tection extended to spousal relationships, offsetting restriction-driven declines in relationship quality and increases in marital conflict. This resilience operates through psychological channels: the intervention builds locus of control and self-efficacy, strengthens family and partner support, and reduces how overwhelmed women feel when shocks arrive. The resulting psycho logical capital has returns well beyond the treated condition.

Suggested Citation

  • Escobar Carías, Michelle & Baranov, Victoria & Bhalotra, Sonia & Biroli, Pietro & Maselko, Joanna, 2026. "Building resilience through psychological intervention," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 819, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cge:wacage:819
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    File URL: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/research/centres/cage/manage/publications/wp819.2026.pdf
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    JEL classification:

    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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