Implications of Cash Transfer Programs for Mental Health Promotion among Families Facing Significant Stressors: Using Ecological Systems Theory to Explain Successes of Conditional and Unconditional Programs

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to apply Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to explore the literature on how Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) programs might support positive mental health outcomes. The paper begins with transnational considerations of stress, such as poverty and COVID-19, and their impact on mental health. Bronfenbrenner’s theory is applied to better understand the mechanisms by which CCT and UCT programs can potentially lead to positive outcomes for children and families who face such stressors. The implications of cash transfer programs are subsequently discussed in terms of how they might promote positive mental health outcomes among families globally. This theoretical application paper concludes with a call for transnational research to explore connections between cash transfer programs and mental health outcomes for children/adolescents and their parents/caregivers.