The integration of livelihood support and mental health and psychosocial wellbeing for populations who have been subject to severe stressors

This article aims to promote the integration of mental health and psychosocial support into livelihood programmes, presenting existing research within behavioural economics, humanitarian and economic fields that support the need and effectiveness of such integration. It presents examples of mental health and psychosocial support integration into livelihood programmes put in place by a grass roots organisation in the USA and the largest development institution in the world, the World Bank Group, respectively. While these initiatives took place within organisational, socio-economic and political environments that significantly differ from those where most humanitarian programmes take place, a series of best practices, processes and approaches that could be considered within humanitarian settings are highlighted in the conclusions.