Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

Why this focus area?

The impact of conflict and displacement on people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being can have significant immediate and long-term consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Whilst nearly all people affected by humanitarian crises will experience psychological distress, the prevalence of common mental disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety are expected to more than double.  

Our work

Our work has contributed to strengthening the evidence for mental health and psychosocial support interventions in humanitarian settings. 

Since 2014 we have funded 28 studies using rigorous research methods to develop, pilot and evaluate effectiveness of MHPSS interventions. Our studies have focused on interventions addressing needs of vulnerable groups, general populations and for use in non-health sectors. Most have been designed for implementation by local, non-professional service providers in settings without trained health professionals. 

Our contribution to the MHPSS field has provided WHO with required levels of evidence to endorse and promote certain interventions, and has influenced inter-agency guidance and minimum standards, including the Sphere Handbook.  

Setting the MHPSS Research Agenda

In 2021 we funded the development of a consensus-based ten-year research agenda. Recognising the diverse MHPSS needs in humanitarian settings, and the growth in delivery of MHPSS programmes since 2010, this was an update of a research prioritisation conducted in 2011. 

One of the objectives of the update was to include input from a broad range of MHPSS stakeholders to ensure that research reflected local needs. We included a multi-stage consultation with people with lived experience, local practitioners, and policy makers in crisis-affected settings. 20 priority questions for MHPSS research in humanitarian settings were identified.