Delivering effective and accountable mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) during emergencies and beyond

Warfare, armed battle, and pure disasters such because the latest Türkiye and Syria earthquakes trigger profound misery, and might trigger or exacerbate psychological well being situations. Though most individuals will recuperate with out assist, an estimated 1 in 5 individuals will expertise a psychological well being situation within the subsequent 10 years. 

Good-quality psychological well being and psychosocial assist (MHPSS) is subsequently important for the restoration of these caught up in emergency conditions. However as a way to be efficient and accountable, MHPSS in emergencies should be effectively coordinated to keep away from duplication and the inefficient use of scarce sources, and designed and delivered with native responders and affected communities.

Supporting MHPSS coordination in emergencies: a brand new useful resource

Native MHPSS response efforts in Syria following the earthquakes concerned 37 companion organizations throughout 450 areas. Communities impacted by the earthquakes in Syria had entry to psychological well being companies and interventions, together with: Psychological First Assist, fundamental psychosocial assist, psychological well being consultations utilizing WHO’s {Mental Health} Hole Motion (mhGAP) programme, case administration and referrals. These important companies have been accessed over 1,000,000 instances for the reason that earthquake. 

The core actions outlined by the MHPSS Coordination Handbook strengthened collaboration between WHO and its companions in Syria, permitting for the supply of a coordinated, multisectoral MHPSS response following the devastating earthquakes. 

Launched  in 2022, the MHPSS Handbook was developed by WHO and companions within the Inter-Company Standing Committee (IASC) Reference Group on MHPSS in Emergency Settings. Constructing on greatest practices from previous emergencies, it supplies instruments and sources to advertise higher coordination, together with by means of the mixing of native businesses and companions, and by the general promotion of an equitable, multisectoral method.

 The handbook outlines seven core actions for higher coordination throughout a humanitarian emergency response:   

1. (Re)establishing and sustaining one technical working group that unites MHPSS actors throughout sectors as an alternative of getting a number of disconnected teams working in silos.
2. Managing info to create a shared understanding of the state of affairs at ground-level and settlement round what is required in response.
3. Establishing hyperlinks between stakeholders, together with these not affiliated with any formal group or humanitarian company, to facilitate an built-in multisectoral MHPSS response.
4. Constructing capability of responders, facilitating an trade of data and fostering peer assist by means of workshops and coaching that leverage native experience and align with world requirements and instruments.
5. Monitoring and analysis to attenuate broad variation within the high quality and consistency of MHPSS actions throughout a humanitarian response and thus show collective impression.
6. Advocating for MHPSS with resolution makers, donors, and different stakeholders to prioritize the MHPSS wants of these affected.
7. Selling long-term sustainability to make sure that actions taken through the rapid and medium-term response to emergencies create sustainable and sturdy programs and construct again higher after the emergency.   

Constructing psychological well being and psychosocial assist programs throughout emergencies 

When the Syrian battle started in 2011, many well being professionals left to flee the battle and over 23 million Syrians have been left with little to no psychological well being care. To bridge this hole, WHO and companions educated well being professionals and first responders to offer take care of individuals with psychological, neurological and substance use issues. Previous to the battle, Syrians may solely entry MHPSS companies at two psychiatric hospitals situated in Aleppo and Damascus. In the present day, with WHO assist, there are over 5000 neighborhood employees, volunteers, and well being employees,educated during the last two years to offer built-in MHPSS companies. Moreover, over 51% of PHCs (600 facilities) and eight% of colleges throughout the nation supply MHPSS companies. 

These prior investments in scaling psychological well being companies throughout Syria have been key to enabling a extra coordinated response following the latest earthquakes. MHPSS Technical Working Teams (TWGs), fashioned a number of years in the past to coordinate MHPSS responses through the Syrian battle, have been  mobilized to ship MHPSS responses to fulfill the wants of individuals affected by the earthquakes. Nabil Samarji, a WHO {Mental Health} Officer who co-chairs the Damascus MHPSS TWG, describes the  group as “an illustration of the facility of collaboration — providing assist to those that have suffered unimaginable hardship and serving to them discover a means ahead.”   

WHO leveraged present groups of educated and supervised well being and neighborhood employees to ship built-in MHPSS companies. Psychological consultations have been offered in-person and by way of psychological well being helplines, which enabled service supply in additional distant, difficult-to-reach areas. Dr Khalid Saeed, Regional Adviser for WHO’s {Mental Health} and Substance Use programme famous that “MHPSS response efforts in Syria benefitted from earlier investments to improve Syria’s nationwide psychological well being system with an emphasis on community-based approaches.”  

Strengthening psychological well being programs by means of MHPSS responses 

Past Syria, the core actions outlined within the MHPSS Coordination Handbook have been  carried out throughout humanitarian emergencies around the globe, resulting in efficient and environment friendly MHPSS responses in Gaza, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka amongst others. By means of MHPSS coordination efforts by WHO and companions in Yemen, over 3,500 healthcare workers, first responders, frontline employees, college lecturers, and youngster safety and gender-based violence (GBV) case managers had been educated in psychological well being and psychosocial assist. Moreover, the nation is implementing an up to date nationwide psychological well being technique that strengthens MHPSS service supply. 

The humanitarian response to the arrival of refugees from Ukraine into Poland is one other instance of how higher coordination has boosted psychological well being care provision. Sanem Ozen, an MHPSS officer with UNHCR, who co-chairs the Poland MHPSS TWG alongside WHO, highlighted how TWGs have improved coordination: “It was difficult to interact companions, significantly native companions, in mapping MHPSS companies. This info is essential to enabling us to ship MHPSS companies to these impacted by the battle in Ukraine. With the working group, we now have been in a position to coordinate throughout companions and stakeholder teams, and effectively map MHPSS companies in any respect ranges.” 

Thus, coordinating efforts amongst humanitarian responders not solely ensures extra environment friendly MHPSS responses and higher entry to the assist individuals want following emergencies, however  lays the inspiration for stronger nationwide psychological well being programs and finally, improves the psychological well being and psychosocial wellbeing of affected communities.   

For extra particulars, contact: Dr Fahmy Hanna ([email protected]) and Dr Brandon Grey ([email protected])