Mental Health and The City : A Tribute to Mariupol, the City that will be Reborn

This paper aims to pay tribute to Mariupol and its inhabitants, the Ukrainian city which was entirely destroyed by the Russian army. Before the full-scale invasion, significant developments were happening in the field of mental health. The experience gained in that city, examples of good practices and active collaboration between the city administration, local professionals and the international development project “Mental Health for Ukraine”, formed the foundation of interventions that were transferred to other regions in Ukraine.

Moral Distress in Humanitarian Aid Workers : How Decolonising Aid Benefits Us All

Power inequalities and structural racism are long-standing problems within the humanitarian aid sector. Staff from high income countries typically work as “international staff,” receiving better treatment than “national staff” from low- and middle-income countries. This can result in harm not only to those disadvantaged by the system but also to those who appear to be benefiting from but are morally conflicted by systemic disparities. Ten current and former international humanitarians, with careers spanning from 3 to 15 years, were interviewed for this qualitative exploratory research.

Growing Out of Trauma : An Examination of Protective Factors Predicting Posttraumatic Growth among Syrian Refugees in Turkey

As the Syrian crisis has reached its 10th year, this paper explores posttraumatic growth and the related factors among Syrian refugees in Turkey, with the aim of having a better understanding of the predictors of PTG and the risk factors that may play a role in the inhibition of the growth. In this cross-sectional study, 217 displaced Syrian refugees completed the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), Brief COPE, General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and sociodemographic information form by a self-reported online survey.

Social Isolation among Genocide Ex-Prisoners in Rwanda : A Mixed Method Study of Prevalence and Associated Factors

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of social isolation and identify associated risk factors among genocide ex-prisoners in Rwanda. A cross-sectional study, using a mixed method approach, involved 382 respondents for the quantitative and 14 respondents for the qualitative data collection and analysis. The Lubben Social Network Scale was used to measure social isolation. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association of social isolation with sociodemographic and social environmental variables.

‘El que ve y Ayuda’ : Evaluation of a Gender-based Violence Prevention Pilot Program in Peru

Community-based prevention strategies (e.g. bystander programs) have the potential to reduce sexual violence against women, but have mainly been implemented in high-income countries and geared towards specific contexts, such as university campuses. Based on local priorities for sexual violence prevention, a community-informed bystander intervention training program, “El que ve y ayuda” (“Who Sees and Helps;” WSH), was developed in Ayacucho, Peru: a post-conflict community.

 

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Victims/Survivors of Sexual Violence in Conflict and Emergency Settings : A Scoping Review

Mental health and psychosocial support is widely acknowledged as an integral part of the assistance offered to victims/survivors of sexual violence in conflict and emergency settings. This scoping review aims to shed light on the evidence for such interventions offered locally to victims/survivors aged 16 and above. The Cochrane, Cochrane Review, MedKnow, ProQuest, PsychInfo, PubMed, Sage Journals and Taylor & Francis databases were searched for articles published between 2009 and 2022 in this PRISMA-compliant scoping review.

Challenges and Opportunities for Uyghur Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Programming

Mental health and psychosocial support for Uyghurs living abroad need to be acknowledged as an important component of the humanitarian response. To formulate appropriate interventions for promoting mental health, a comprehensive understanding of identified problems is needed. However, several challenges − including language barriers, community perceptions of mental health, and mental health services − must be addressed. In this field report, we draw from our experiences of the Uyghur diaspora in relation to mental health to present the challenges which need to be addressed.

Six month evaluation of Mental Health, Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) hotline of Action Contre la Faim (ACF), Afghanistan

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) hotline in Afghanistan using quantitative and qualitative data. Results showed that the hotline was effective in providing accessible MHPSS interventions to women who have access to a mobile phone. Overall, 82.4% of the callers were women, and the main themes on the calls were related to gender-based violence or social difficulties. Another common topic was family conflicts and substance use.

A Refugee and Immigrant Peer Support Program in the United States

This field report describes the development and implementation of a curriculum for peer psychosocial support (PSS) for refugees and immigrants in the United States. From 2017 to 2019, we piloted an adapted PSS multistakeholder-approved peer curriculum to assess its relevance in several refugee groups. The program certified 106 peer support specialists from backgrounds representing 35 countries and more than 38 languages.

Morale and Moral Injury among Russian and Ukrainian Combatants

This chapter explores morale and moral injury in the Russia-Ukraine War, emphasising the role of narratives. Ukrainians have been engaged in a fierce struggle for their very existence, while the morale-boosting narratives among Russian forces have faced serious challenges. Yet, the involvement of NATO countries possibly reinforced an ‘us against the rest’ mentality in Russian troops. Also, on the battlefield, unique dynamics shape morale, with the willingness to sacrifice for comrades being paramount for combat readiness.

 

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