The effect of trauma counseling support and social protection on enhancing social economic resilience in vulnerable communities: A natural experiment in Northern Uganda.

The literature on social protection does not sufficiently address the impact of traumatic experiences on vulnerability and resilience. Failure to address trauma in highly traumatized and vulnerable populations could negate the effects of social protection programs. This study used a natural experiment (n = 465) to explore the effectiveness of trauma counseling and cash/in-kind transfers on enhancing social economic resilience among members of vulnerable communities in Northern Uganda. The results suggest that trauma counseling is more relevant than cash/in-kind transfers in enhancing social economic resilience; however, no synergetic effect on social economic resilience was found in relation to receiving trauma counseling in conjunction with social protection cash/in-kind assistance. This research adds to the existing literature by providing insights into the underlying factors contributing to vulnerability, such as trauma, as essential elements to be considered in designing and implementing social protection programs in vulnerable communities.