Hi Sean!

I really admire what you do at StrongMinds, and I really think that mental health is a theme that isn't picked up on much but taking care of it can do a huge difference, like with what you do! This is really amazing work and it fills me with joy to see so many women getting access to the treatment they need to live happily (and the number that remains depression-free after getting treated, wow!).  I have a few questions :)

1. How did you work during the pandemic? I imagine it wasn't easy to do group psychotherapy in a context of social distancing and less interpersonal connections.
2. Have you noticed a difference between pre-pandemic and post-pandemic depression? My own personal impression - but I  believe the mental health crisis we live in currently is, in part, because of a decay in interpersonal relationships. Is the treatment even more effective because once having the group therapy these women have the whole group as a support network?
3. As a person who has had depression, I know it is very difficult to ask for help at the beginning, how do you convince these women to access treatment? How taboo is talking about mental health in Uganda and Zambia? Are there cultural differences you considered when developing the program?
4. I an engineering undergrad living in Chile, where 1/4 of our population has mental health illnesses such as depression and anxiety and a really poor access to treatment. What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in this area? Do you know of other effective interventions in mental health, especially for students?

Thanks so much for the AMA! :)