Photo caption: Manuela Siakou, Heal by Hair ambassador, Lomé, 2026.
A study has 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 approach health professionals initially, highlighting the role of trusted community relationships in mental health support.
The findings are contained in a study by the Bluemind Foundation, which examined how women seek emotional support and the potential for trusted relationships to connect them with professional mental health services.
The Trust Study involved 576 women, comprising 205 salon clients and 371 hairdressers, in Lomé, Kara, Sokodé and Dapaong between April and June 2026.
According to the study, 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 interviewed in depth shared things with their hairdressers that they did not tell anyone else.
All the hairdressers interviewed said they had noticed signs of distress among clients before the women expressed their difficulties.
It further found that 99 per cent of clients surveyed would either accept or consider a referral to professional support from their hairdressers. While 69 per cent said they would accept such referrals, 30 per cent said they would consider them.
Founder and President of the Bluemind Foundation, Marie-Alix de Putter, said trust could help women speak about their difficulties and seek professional care when necessary.
Photo caption: Marie-Alix de Putter, founder and president of Bluemind Foundation, with Heal by Hair ambassadors, Kara, 2026.
“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 judgment, maintain confidentiality, recognise signs of distress, respond safely to disclosures of violence and refer clients to appropriate professionals.
The foundation stressed that the programme does not seek to turn hairdressers into therapists but to equip them to recognise when clients may need help and guide them towards professional care.
The study, however, did not measure the programme’s impact on mental health outcomes or establish that hairdressers’ involvement directly improves access to treatment.
The findings also draw attention to the shortage of mental health professionals in Togo, where fewer than 10 psychiatrists serve a population of more than nine million, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Across Africa, nearly 150 million people live with mental health conditions, while fewer than one in 10 receive any form of support, the study said.
The foundation called for community-based support systems to be linked with stronger professional services, effective referral pathways and increased investment in the mental health workforce.
It said further research was needed to determine whether similar trusted relationships could help people access mental health services in other countries.
The exploratory study drew on 440 questionnaires, 53 in-depth interviews and five focus group discussions involving 83 participants. Its findings are descriptive and do not establish cause and effect.