Practices of Congolese Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Providers : A Qualitative Study on Gaps and Obstacles

Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services, including services related to sexual and reproductive health problems, are highly unaddressed in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. We present findings of a qualitative study that reveals three gaps related to the knowledge and skills of staff in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to provide proper MHPSS, with integrated care for sexual and reproductive health.

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Physical Activity Training for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Professionals in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) practitioners play a key role in promoting and protecting the mental health of forcibly displaced communities. Physical activity (PA) is an evidence-based, cross-cutting strategy to protect and promote mental and physical health and increase resilience. Although PA is recommended, implementation remains ad hoc. Strengthening the collaboration between PA and mental health workforces may help bridge this gap between knowledge and practice.

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Hot and Bothered : Applying the Five Elements Framework to the Climate Crisis

The climate crisis is exacerbating humanitarian crises and significantly impacting mental health and psychosocial wellbeing globally. This paper explores the application of Hobfoll’s five essential elements framework—promoting safety, calming, self-efficacy, connectedness, and hope—to address the mental health impacts of the climate crisis. Drawing from existing literature and practical experience, the paper examines how climate change affects mental health through multiple pathways, leading to increased rates of mental health conditions and psychological distress.

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A Healthy Environment for a Healthy Mind : Mental Health Risks Attached to Poor Housing among Congolese refugees living in Yeoville, Johannesburg

This article explores spatial inequality as a conceptual framework to understand the link between poor housing, environmental degradation, and mental health. The dire housing conditions are one of the many struggles that refugees face in South Africa. This paper emerged from fieldwork carried out between 2020 and 2022 among Congolese refugees in Yeoville, a suburb of Johannesburg. They were included in a research project investigating the existing association between displacement, gendered violence, and mental ill-health among internally displaced persons, refugees, and asylum seekers.

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Betrayal Trauma and Personality Pathology : An Integrated Review

Personality pathology is a common and debilitating problem for many, and among the factors associated with personality pathology is trauma. Recent research on the association between personality pathology and trauma has highlighted the role of trauma perpetrated by a person whom the victim trusts and/or relies upon for support (i.e., betrayal trauma).

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Global overview of suicidal behavior and risk factors among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic : a scoping review

Background
The COVID-19 pandemic, declared by the World Health Organization in early 2020, rapidly escalated from a global health crisis to a significant public health issue worldwide. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive global overview of suicidal behavior and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Emotionally-oriented design in museums : a case study of the Jewish Museum Berlin

Objective: This study examines the intricate interplay between architectural design and visitor emotional responses at the Jewish Museum Berlin, focusing on how specific spatial elements such as the Holocaust Tower, Garden of Exile, The Voids, and The Axis elicit varied affective experiences. The research aims to extend the discourse on environmental psychology and architectural empathy, particularly within the context of memorial museums.

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Inquiry on Threats of Evil within the Hostile-World Scenario : Emerging Content and Mental Health Concomitants Among Holocaust Survivors

Exposure to human evil, referring to malevolent deeds that deliberately inflict suffering or death, can be psychologically traumatic. This study examined self-perceived evil-related threats within the conception of hostile-world scenario (HWS) that signifies one’s mental representation of major threats in life. The study explored whether evil-related threats, along with HWS, differentiated Holocaust survivors from comparisons, and how these concepts related to mental health.

 

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The effects of the intergenerational transmission of the Holocaust trauma on family functioning, resilience, anxiety and depression : A case-control study

Background

Effects of Intergenerational transmission of a major trauma from one remains unclear. The present case-control study aims to clarifying the mechanisms of transmission among families of Holocaust Survivors (HS). We hypothesized that the high level of depressive and anxiety disorders (DAD) among HS impairs family system, which results in damaging resilience of their children (CHS) yielding a higher level of DAD

 

Methods

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The Holocaust Experience and Its Role in the Association Between Meaning in Life, Depressive Symptoms and Life Satisfaction

Holocaust survivors often reveal long-term depressive symptoms, while demonstrating life satisfaction. The present study examined the role of meaning in life (MIL) of Holocaust survivors in this context. Survivors (n = 44) and comparisons (n = 51) provided background information and completed MIL, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction scales. MIL was associated with lower depressive symptoms and higher life satisfaction. Moreover, the MIL-depressive symptoms/life satisfaction links were stronger among Holocaust survivors.

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