Psychosocial and economic intervention for poverty alleviation: an empirical analysis of a multi-faceted approach in Niger

Details

Supervisors

Catherine Guirkinger ; Giovanna D'adda

Faculty

Faculté des sciences économiques, sociales, politiques et de communication

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences économiques, orientation générale, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

This thesis investigates the integration of psychosocial and economic interventions within poverty alleviation programs, with a specific focus on a multi-faceted approach implemented in Niger. Drawing on data from a large-scale social protection initiative, the study evaluates the effectiveness of combining capital support and psychosocial interventions in enhancing household income, consumption, and mental well-being among the ultra-poor. By integrating a heterogeneity analysis based on pre-treatment income levels into a DiD framework, the analysis uncovers significant variability in impacts among the treated households. The findings show that while the integrated interventions consistently enhance economic conditions across income groups, leading to a certain degree of homogeneity in economic outcomes, the psychosocial benefits are less uniformly distributed. Specifically, more impoverished households experience relatively fewer gains in psychological well-being compared to their less impoverished counterparts. Finally, the interaction analysis allows for a detailed examination of the specific types of inequalities in the distribution of benefits and it provides evidence of the potential challenges and opportunities for scaling up the program effectively.