COVID-19 Health and wellbeing Trial in Bangladesh

INTERVENTION: The intervention, starting on 16 July 2020, consists of four brief mental‐health counseling sessions over the phone (i.e., tele‐counseling) to 2,402 women distributed across 357 villages in Khulna and Satkhira districts in Bangladesh. One adult woman per household was enrolled for the program. Following enrolment, we randomly assigned them to either the telecounseling treatment arm, Arm 1, or to the control arm, Arm 2, where no counseling is provided to women. Therefore, our randomization is at the household (or individual) level. Eventually, 1,299 women were assigned to Arm 1 and 1,103 women to Arm 2. We are running four fortnightly (every two weeks) tele‐counseling sessions, each for 20 minutes, covering different aspects of the coronavirus’ impact on women’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Thus, the intervention will be given over two months. The four informational modules (delivered via interactive sessions using study‐specific materials) that are being covered are on: (i) awareness of COVID‐19, symptoms and preventive measures to address the fear of infection; (ii) taking care of emotional wellbeing to cope with stress; (iii) taking care of physical health of self and child to address health‐related anxiety; and, (iv) helping each other and staying connected to cope with social distancing. Sessions are delivered by locally recruited, trained female para counsellors. Para counsellors contact participants a week before every session to make an appointment that is convenient for participants; they then talk to participants during the nominated time. CONDITION: Mental Health ‐ Depression Mental Health ‐ Other mental health disorders Perceived stress;Depression;COVID‐19; ; Perceived stress ; Depression ; COVID‐19 PRIMARY OUTCOME: Change in the level of depression on the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale version 10 (CESDS)[Immediately post‐intervention in September 2020; and ; Six months post‐intervention in March 2021] Change in the level of perceived stress measured on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)[Immediately post‐intervention in September 2020; and ; Six months post‐intervention in March 2021] SECONDARY OUTCOME: Change in compliance with COVID‐19 precautionary measures assessed on the basis of self‐report on practice data collected using questionnaire specific to this trial [Immediately post‐intervention in September 2020; and ; Six months post‐intervention in March 2021] Change in the frequency of common ailment will be assessed using study‐specific questionnaire base on self‐report. [Immediately post‐intervention in September 2020; and ; Six months post‐intervention in March 2021] INCLUSION CRITERIA: Female inhabitants of reproductive age group of study areas who have experienced moderate to severe food insecurity on Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES).