In this TedWomen Talk, Dixon Chibanda, one of 12 psychiatrists in Zimbabwe, presents an idea for caring those with mental health issues in his country: grandmothers. In this talk, you will learn more about the friendship bench program that trains grandmothers in evidence-based talk therapy to those in need. Guided by the mission to create a safe space and sense of belonging in communities, to enhance mental wellbeing, and to improve quality of life, the Friendship Bench was founded in Zimbabwe and provides accessible and scalable community based psychological interventions. By using a task shifting approach to bridge the mental health treatment gap at the primary care level, the Friendship Bench clinical team trains community health workers to provide basic cognitive behavioral therapy with an emphasis on problem solving therapy. Free mental health services also include online counseling sessions held over WhatsApp, face to face counseling, and self-directed support through a resource library called community minds.
