Self-Reported Mental Health Benefits and Impacts of Vocational Skills Training in a Low-Resource Setting: The Lived Experience of Young Women Residing in the Urban Slums of Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

Vocational training can lead to higher employment rates and improved incomes, particularly for young women in low-resource settings like Kampala’s slums. Despite these benefits, further research is needed to understand the full impact and mechanisms of vocational training on youth in low-resource environments. In 2022, a focus group project, part of a larger study, involved 60 women aged 18 to 24, recruited from three Youth Support Centers operated by the Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL) in Kampala. Six focus groups (about 10 women in each group) were held to explore urban stress and how vocational training might mitigate social and environmental stressors and improve mental health. Data analysis conducted using NVivo software identified five key themes: economic benefits, skill development, building confidence and self-esteem, improved social and behavioral well-being, and enhanced lifestyle and quality of life. This formative research underscores that vocational training benefits young women, highlighting outcomes such as job acquisition, financial empowerment, and skill development. Additionally, self-esteem and confidence development emphasize the training’s role in fostering mental health and agency and addressing gender inequality. These findings underscore the value of vocational training in enhancing the mental health and overall well-being of young women and suggest areas for future research for how to best optimize and scale these programs in low-resource settings. © 2025 by the authors.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Vocational training empowerment Uganda Mental health vulnerable population women

Index Keywords

Employment Skill training adult female human Humans adolescent Article vulnerable population young adult Vocational education empowerment self concept vocation gender inequality lifestyle information processing self report physiological stress mental health Focus Groups income environmental stress gender disparity urban area womens status personal experience quality of life self esteem Uganda poverty urban population Kampala Poverty Areas

Author Affiliations

School of Public Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States

Department of Health Promotion and Physical Education, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, United States

Uganda Youth Development Link, Kampala, Uganda

Funding & Acknowledgements

National Institute of Mental Health, NIMH

This research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health, grant number \u201CR01MH128930\u201D. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

National Institutes of Health, USNIH

Grant: R01MH128930

This research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health, grant number \u201CR01MH128930\u201D. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

National Institutes of Health, USNIH

This research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health, grant number \u201CR01MH128930\u201D. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Self-Reported Mental Health Benefits and Impacts of Vocational Skills Training in a Low-Resource Setting: The Lived Experience of Young Women Residing in the Urban Slums of Kampala, Uganda

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