Building resilience through psychological intervention

Michelle Escobar Carias, Victoria Baranov, Sonia Bhalotra, Pietro Biroli and Joanna Maselko
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Michelle Escobar Carias: Business School, Newcastle University
Victoria Baranov: Department of Economics, University of Melbourne
Sonia Bhalotra: Department of Economics, University of Warwick
Pietro Biroli: Department of Economics, University of Bologna
Joanna Maselko: Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina

CAGE Online Working Paper Series from Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE)

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.

Keywords: Resilience; mental health; functioning; spousal conflict; restrictions JEL Classification: G18; I12; J12; J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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