ABSTRACT
According to the World Health Organization, Brazil ranks third in COVID-19 cases and second in deaths globally. The most severely impacted by this shock are the approximately 10 million Brazilians that live in extreme poverty. This vulnerability is evident in youth, financially, and in their well-being and mental health. Like other cash transfer programmes globally, the Programa Bolsa Familia (PBF) is currently being adapted to support individuals and families during the pandemic. The current environment offers a unique opportunity for PBF to focus on young people and tackle poverty from a broader perspective. The PBF can expand its scope to address the longer-term mental health impacts of economic crises and poverty, besides addressing urgent food security and survival needs. This approach could enhance youth's future life chances and break the vicious cycle between mental illness and poverty that spirals many young people into socioeconomic and mental health disadvantages. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Portuguese) Segundo a Organizacao Mundial da Saude (OMS), o Brasil e o terceiro pais do mundo com mais casos de COVID-19 e o segundo em numero de mortes. Os mais afetados sao os cerca de dez milhoes de brasileiros vivendo na linha da pobreza. Essa vulnerabilidade e mais visivel entre os jovens, tanto economicamente quanto em relacao a saude mental. Junto a outros programas de transferencia de renda, o Programa Bolsa Familia (PBF) foi adaptado para melhor contribuir durante a pandemia. Esse contexto oferece uma oportunidade unica para que o PBF foque em jovens e aborde a pobreza de forma mais ampla. Alem de cobrir as necessidades basicas, o PBF poderia ampliar seu alcance visando a impactos economicos e de saude mental de longo prazo. Esse enfoque poderia melhorar as oportunidades de vida de jovens e romper o ciclo vicioso entre problemas de saude mental e pobreza que os mantem em situacao de vulnerabilidade social. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) Segun la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud (OMS), Brasil es el tercer pais en casos de COVID-19 y el segundo en muertes mundialmente. Los mas afectados son los cerca de diez millones de brasilenos viviendo en pobreza extrema. Esa vulnerabilidad es particularmente visible en los jovenes, tanto economicamente como en relacion con la salud mental. Junto de otros programas de transferencia de efectivo a nivel mundial, el Programa Bolsa Familia (PBF) se esta adaptando para ayudar durante la pandemia. Ese contexto ofrece una oportunidad unica para que el PBF se centre en los jovenes y aborde la pobreza mas ampliamente. Ademas de cubrir necesidades basicas, el PBF puede ampliar su alcance atajando los impactos a largo plazo de pandemias y crisis economicas en salud mental. Este enfoque podria mejorar las oportunidades de vida de los jovenes y romper el circulo vicioso de enfermedad mental y pobreza que les conduce a una situacion de desventaja. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Social protection measures can play an important part in securing livelihoods and in mitigating short-term and long-term economic, social, and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, cash transfer programmes are currently being adapted or expanded in various low-income and middle-income countries to support individuals and families during the pandemic. We argue that the current crisis offers an opportunity for these programmes to focus on susceptible young people (aged 15-24 years), including those with mental health conditions. Young people living in poverty and with mental health problems are at particular risk of experiencing adverse health, wellbeing, and employment outcomes with long-term consequences. They are also at risk of developing mental health conditions during this pandemic. To support this population, cash transfer programmes should not only address urgent needs around food security and survival but expand their focus to address longer-term mental health impacts of pandemics and economic crises. Such an approach could help support young people's future life chances and break the vicious cycle between mental illness and poverty that spirals many young people into both socioeconomic and mental health disadvantage.