In 2005, psychiatrist Dr. Dixon Chibanda lost a patient to suicide, because her family couldn‘t afford the bus fare to bring her to the hospital, highlighting the severe lack of mental health services in his home country Zimbabwe. With only 10 psychiatrists serving 13 million people, he realized the need for an accessible mental health solution.
In 2006, he launched the Friendship Bench, training grandmothers as community-based therapists. These women, trusted figures in their communities, became the first point of contact for people with mental health issues. Originally called the Mental Health Bench, the program struggled due to stigma until the grandmothers suggested renaming it the Friendship Bench, making it more inviting. The initiative started with 14 grandmothers and has since expanded to over 3,000 older listeners who have helped more than 300,000 people in Zimbabwe alone. Addressing a global mental health crisis with an estimated 300 Million people affected worldwide, the program has since expanded to nine countries.
A screening process refers severe cases to professionals, but research shows grandmothers are often more effective than trained therapists in reducing depression and anxiety. Chibanda attributes this to the life experiences and empathy of older adults. Grandparents bring wisdom, resilience, and lived experiences to their interactions, making the therapy deeply impactful. Meanwhile, the grandmothers themselves find renewed purpose and fulfillment in helping others. As loneliness and depression rise globally, the Friendship Bench is proving to be a simple yet powerful model for bringing mental health support to underserved communities.