Study: 30% Of Women In Togo Turn To Hairdressers First For Emotional Support

 

A study found that 30 per cent of women surveyed in Togo turn to their hairdressers first when facing personal difficulties, while fewer than one per cent initially seek help from health professionals.

The findings highlight the role of trusted community relationships in mental health support in a country with fewer than 10 psychiatrists serving a population of more than nine million, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The study, conducted by the Bluemind Foundation, involved 576 women, comprising 205 salon clients and 371 hairdressers, in Lomé, Kara, Sokodé and Dapaong between April and June 2026.

Released ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10, the Trust Study

examined whom women approach first when dealing with personal difficulties and how trust could help connect them to professional mental health services.

According to the findings, family members remain the first source of support for 41 per cent of the clients surveyed, followed by hairdressers at 30 per cent and friends at 11 per cent.

The study also found that 89 per cent of clients in in-depth interviews disclosed things to their hairdressers that they did not share with anyone else.

All the hairdressers interviewed said they had noticed signs of distress among clients before the women spoke about their difficulties.

The survey also found that 99 per cent of clients surveyed would either accept or consider a referral to professional support from their hairdressers. Of those, 69 per cent said they would accept such referrals, and 30 per cent said they would consider them.

Founder and President of the Bluemind Foundation, Marie-Alix de Putter, said trust could encourage women to discuss their difficulties and seek professional help when necessary.

“Trust can make speaking possible, provide an initial form of support and, when more help is needed, open a path toward care. But a referral is only as useful as the care available at the other end,” she said.

Since 2021, the foundation has operated its Heal by Hair programme, which trains hairdressers to listen without judgement, maintain confidentiality, recognise signs of emotional distress, respond safely to disclosures of violence and refer clients to appropriate professionals.

The foundation said the study examined the relationships underpinning the programme but did not measure its therapeutic impact or establish that the approach directly improves mental health outcomes.

It stressed that hairdressers were not expected to replace trained mental health professionals, adding that community-based support must be backed by accessible professional services, effective referral systems, and investment in the mental health workforce.

The study cited estimates that nearly 150 million people in Africa live with mental health conditions, with fewer than one in 10 receiving any form of support.

It said mental health research remained limited in francophone Africa and called for further studies to determine whether trusted community relationships could help people access formal care in other settings.

The research used 440 questionnaires, 53 in-depth interviews, and five focus group discussions with 83 participants.

The foundation described the findings as exploratory and descriptive, noting that they could not be generalised to all women in Togo or other countries without further research.