This March I will be running the Barcelona marathon in support of StrongMinds, a social enterprise that provide therapy treatments to those suffering from depressive disorders in Africa.

Whilst there are efforts to increase access to treatments for those suffering from mental illnesses in developed countries, there is an even wider gap that needs to be addressed in developing countries. Approximately 85% of people living with depressive disorders in low-income countries receive no treatment.

StrongMinds is a fantastic social enterprise who aim to increase access to therapy for low-income women and adolescents suffering from mental illnesses across Africa. They provide group interpersonal therapy (IPT-G), delivered by lay community health workers providing a cost-effective solution to the depression epidemic in Africa.

Not only do StrongMinds directly address the depressive disorder treatment gap in Africa, but this also has a huge impact on the lives of the patient's families and especially young children. StrongMinds have reported that post-treatment, they have seen a 30% increase in patients sending their children to school regularly. In addition to this, they have reported a 13% increase in patients feeding their children regular meals.