{"product_id":"the-friendship-bench-how-fourteen-grandmothers-inspired-a-mental-health-revolution-paperback","title":"The Friendship Bench: How Fourteen Grandmothers Inspired a Mental Health Revolution - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eDixon Chibanda\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA simple, human solution for loneliness and depression\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e When Dr. Dixon Chibanda lost a patient to suicide, he began a soul-searching journey that eventually led to a mental healthcare revolution. As one of only six psychiatrists in all of Zimbabwe, a country traumatized by decades of conflict, Chibanda quickly realized that millions there were suffering from mental illness with no hope of receiving care. He saw that the only way to narrow this care gap was to leverage existing resources in the community, and one such resource was the compassion and understanding of grandmothers. With fourteen of these wise elders as partners, Chibanda pioneered the Friendship Bench program, a community-driven initiative addressing loneliness, depression, substance abuse, and suicide by fostering intergenerational connectedness. Since then, more than 500,000 people worldwide have sat on a park bench to share their personal stories with an empathetic grandmother. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e A primer on how human connection forms the bedrock of our resilience, \u003ci\u003eThe Friendship Bench\u003c\/i\u003e gives readers the tools to facilitate transformative healing by reaching out to those who are struggling and isolated from the world around them. It's a case study of how interventions supported by robust scientific evidence can be made accessible for all. Ultimately, it's a celebration of the collective wisdom and knowledge of those rooted in their communities and their profound ability to foster belonging, purpose, and healing. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDixon Chibanda, MD, \u003c\/b\u003e is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Zimbabwe and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The director of the African Mental Health Research Initiative (AMARI), he has written about his work for \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eLA Times\u003c\/i\u003e and spoken to audiences at the World Economic Forum, the Aspen Ideas Festival, and the TEDWomen conference.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 208\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.7 x 8.1 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 22, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47290856767673,"sku":"9781955831024","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0686\/4309\/4713\/files\/423uVGHRSX9781955831024.webp?v=1779785326","url":"https:\/\/thoobo.com\/products\/the-friendship-bench-how-fourteen-grandmothers-inspired-a-mental-health-revolution-paperback","provider":"Thoobo","version":"1.0","type":"link"}