Mental Health and Bolsa Familia: Clinical Trial of Cash Transfer Effects on Child Brain, Behavior, and Mental Health

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate the effects of the Auxilio Brasil (AB) cash transfer program on child neurodevelopment and mental health in resource-limited families in Brazil. The study focuses on children aged 7 to 10 years and investigates whether increasing cash transfers can reduce childhood adversities and improve brain function and behavior related to executive functions. The trial also explores how these cash transfers affect inflammatory markers and stress hormone activity, as well as whether these effects vary by the child's sex or gender and persist after the intervention ends. Participants are families already receiving AB cash transfers. The study randomly assigns 300 families to receive either a high supplemental cash transfer of $40 per month or a low supplemental transfer of $2 per month for two years. Up to 150 siblings aged 7 to 10 may also be included. The intervention builds on Brazil's existing national program, aiming to lift families out of poverty and study the resulting effects on children's brain and behavior. Assessments occur at baseline, about 8 and 16 months, at 24 months, and approximately 6 months after the trial ends. Throughout the study, researchers will collect data using brain MRI scans, executive function tests, blood and hair samples for inflammation and cortisol levels, family environment evaluations, and questionnaires about childhood adversity and mental health symptoms. These measures will be taken multiple times to track changes over the two-year period and post-trial. The study's goal is to understand the pathways by which cash transfers might protect children's development and mental health, providing valuable information for refining social assistance programs.

Impacts of Cash Transfers on Child Neurodevelopment (Auxilio Brasil)