Recovery from depression among clients transitioning out of poverty

The objective of this study was to investigate whether a program designed to change the economic conditions of clients' lives could also have an impact on reducing their level of depression. The study focused on a sample of men and women attending a program designed to transition clients out of poverty through microlending and peer support. Results revealed that 40.5% of participants who met diagnostic criteria for major depression before beginning the program were no longer clinically depressed after participating in the program for 6 months. The results also revealed that the clients who reported that they felt a strong sense of interpersonal connection within the program were the most likely to recover from depression.