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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

Conducting a Social Marketing Campaign to Increase the Uptake of Mental Health Care by Ukrainian Refugees in Germany

Alexandra Avdeenko
Andreas Ette
Yagan Hazard
Alexander Moldavski
Artur Obminski
Nicolas Ruesch
Katharina Spiess
Researchers evaluated the impact of a social media messaging campaign on mental health help-seeking behavior among Ukrainian refugees in Germany. Social media was an effective means to reach refugees with mental health needs, and videos featuring a relatable patient led to more hotline calls than...

Separating Diagnosis and Treatment: Using Incentives to Improve Malaria Care in Kenya

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of incentives for both malaria testing and treatment on appropriate care in Kenya. The incentive structure was highly cost-effective, lowering costs by reducing the number of malaria-negative patients taking unnecessary medications.

Moral Incentives to Increase Credit Card Repayment in Indonesia

Daniel Gottlieb
Martin Kanz
Researchers partnered with a large Indonesian Islamic bank to evaluate the impact of sending moral appeals in reminder text messages to late-paying credit card holders. Messages stating that non-repayment of debts by someone who is able to repay is an injustice increased the number of clients...

The Impact of Energy Efficiency Messaging on Audit Takeup and Investment in Wisconsin

Researchers examined the informational, behavioral, and monetary drivers behind takeup of residential energy efficiency audits and subsequent investments in Wisconsin. While receipt of promotional letters and subsidies did induce higher rates of audit participation, overall takeup and investment in...

Creating Incentives to Decrease Water Waste in Zambia

Researchers partnered with a water company in Zambia to evaluate whether improved information and incentives can help households manage their water usage. They found that targeting incentives to higher household water consumers might be an effective way to reduce water consumption.

Providing Free Bank Accounts in Chile, Malawi, and Uganda

Researchers partnered with banks in three countries to see if removing the costs to opening basic bank accounts would lead to more households opening and using bank accounts. Overall, use of the accounts was low across all three countries, and being offered a free, basic bank account had no impact...

Leveraging Government Transfers to Offer Low-Risk Microcredit in the Dominican Republic

Despite the initial promise of microcredit, randomized evaluations have found at best modest effects of microloans on poverty. Digitized payments from government cash transfer programs provide a unique opportunity to offer microcredit while addressing some of its shortcomings, potentially reducing...