Linking mental health and psychosocial support and disaster risk reduction : applying a wellbeing lens to disaster risk reduction

The field of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in emergencies has been slow to engage with the growing global policy consensus around disaster risk reduction (DRR) as embodied by the Hyogo Framework for Action and its successor, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. However, there are encouraging recent efforts to harness the synergies that exist between the fields of DRR and MHPSS.

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.

When psychological first aid is not enough : personal reflections on psychosocial interventions in Duma, a village in north West Bank

This personal reflection describes the experience of a Swiss/Belgian psychologist who has been working as a mental health programme coordinator in Palestine for Médecins du Monde France for 2.5 years. His reflection (which does not necessarily reflect the view of Médecins du Monde France) touches on the importance of rethinking psychosocial interventions for individuals and communities facing continuous critical events.

Psychological interventions for children and young people affected by armed conflict or political violence : a systematic literature review

Youths exposed to armed conflict have a higher prevalence of mental health and psychosocial difficulties. Diverse interventions exist that aim to ameliorate the effect of armed conflict on the psychological and psychosocial wellbeing of conflict affected youths. However, the evidence base for the effectiveness of these interventions is limited. Using standard review methodology, this review aims to address the effectiveness of psychological interventions employed among this population. The search was performed across four databases and grey literature.

Psychosocial support among refugees

The aim of this paper is to examine the psychosocial needs and stressors among refugees of con£icts within

developing countries, and their group based, social support mechanisms. Systematic literature searches

of peer reviewed journal articles (nU60 articles) were carried out using the following factors: type

(refugee); cause (con’icts); location (developing countries). As refugees move towards a prolonged

urban displacement phase, needs and stressors became di!erent than those of the acute phase.While

The microcosms of violence

Acts of violence are often studied as facts, not as cultural and symbolic expressions.Within this article,

the author will shed light on another dimension; explaining how a personal experience of unprovoked

assault changed the author’s scholarly vision of the intrusive nature of violence, as well as how violence

in£uences the subjective perception of victims. He will show that during that moment of violence, all

cultural meaning unravels and the social imagery of the perpetrator is internalised by those that are victimised.

‘The problem is the silence’ : challenges providing support to local INGO staff in Gaza

​This field report reviews some of the challenges encountered in providing support to local international, nongovernmental organisations staff in Gaza, shortly following the cessation of conflict in July and August of 2014. Methodology and the content of group sessions are described. The paper concludes with highlights from the evaluation, reflections on what was learned, and some recommendations on the provision of further staff support in the future.

A classroom based intervention in conflict affected Poso, Indonesia : synthesising lessons learned from research and practice

This paper describes lessons learned from a classroom based intervention, which was implemented in the post conflict area of Poso, Indonesia. These lessons are drawn from qualitative research and a randomised controlled trial in the area, as well as data from our own programme monitoring and evaluation. We describe these lessons learned from a socio-ecological perspective, making recommendations to strengthen the classroom based intervention's connection with critical mental health and psychosocial issues relevant at individual, family and wider community levels.

Mental health and psychosocial support for the internally displaced persons in Bannu, Pakistan

Following armed conflict in the North Waziristan Agency, a mental health and psychosocial support initiative was launched for internally displaced persons in Bannu, Pakistan. This was convened by volunteer mental health professionals, in collaboration with a variety of agencies (provincial government, military, humanitarian agencies) in a security compromised region. As part of the initiative, monthly camps were held for a period of six months. Mental health needs were assessed.

Single Session Therapy as a framework for post disaster practice in low and middle income countries

In response to a disaster in high income countries, disaster mental health professionals typically have, at most, one encounter with a survivor of the event. After providing the initial psychosocial interventions, the individual is either referred to follow-up mental health resources or has access to the mental health delivery system. When disasters occur in low and middle income countries, access to follow-up and treatment for mental health issues may be unavailable or limited in capacity.

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