Evidence-based mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings: gaps and opportunities
Abstract
Research in humanitarian settings – referred to here as areas affected by disasters and armed conflicts – has shown diverse impacts of such crises on the mental health and psychosocial well-being of populations. These consequences range from resilience (good mental health despite exposure to significant adversity), non-disordered psychological distress, to increased mental disorders, including anxiety (eg, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)), depressive, and substance use disorders.1,–,3 In addition, mental health practitioners in humanitarian settings frequently encounter people with severe pre-existing neuropsychiatric disorders (eg, psychotic disorders and epilepsy).4 Moreover, disasters and armed conflicts have been shown to impact the social conditions that shape mental health, through increased poverty, threats to human rights, domestic and community violence and changed social relations.5 To address negative impacts, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programmes are increasingly a standard component of humanitarian response. MHPSS has been defined as ‘any type of local or outside support that aims to protect or promote psychosocial well-being and/or prevent or treat mental disorder’.6 There appears to be increasing consensus on best practices, as indicated by the publication of two sets of international guidelines; the 2007 Inter-Agency Standing Committee Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings6 and the 2011 Sphere Handbook.7 In this editorial, we discuss the emerging field of MHPSS from the perspective of evidence-based practice. We describe challenges to evidence-based MHPSS practice, and highlight areas where concerted action may either (A) improve the quality of MHPSS programming (by basing decision-making on research findings) and/or (B) improve MHPSS research efforts (by making the pursuit of reliable and valid knowledge more responsive to needs of affected populations). We structure the discussion in accordance with steps of the programme cycle where empirical evidence may support decision-making, that is needs …
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Psychiatric epidemiological research on populations displaced from South Sudan in previous conflicts suggested high prevalence of common mental disorders (depression, PTSD, anxiety), although the use of non-validated cut-off scores for the population may mean that psychological distress and mental disorders are conflated in these studies.
“The psychiatric epidemiological research on populations displaced from South Sudan in previous conflicts suggested high prevalence of common mental disorders (depression, PTSD, anxiety), although the use of non-validated cut-off scores for the population may mean that psychological distress and mental disorders are conflated in these studies [24].”
From Mental health and psychosocial support for South Sudanese refugees in northern Uganda: a needs and resource assessment (2016) · cites this paper as [24]
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- Authors
- Tol, W. A., & van Ommeren, M.
- Affiliations
- Yale University (US)
- Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
- Corresponding author
- Tol, Wietse A
- ORCID
- Tol, Wietse A
- Venue
- Evidence Based Mental Health
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2012-03-26
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 25-26
- ISSN
- 1362-0347 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-960X
- OpenAlex
- W2318237773
- Cited by
- 43
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 4.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Evidence-Based Mental Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Migration, Health and Trauma
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health and Conflict Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- mental health and psychosocial support, humanitarian settings, disasters, armed conflict, evidence-based practice, psychosocial well-being, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders, research gaps, needs assessment
- MeSH terms
- Altruism, Humans, Mental Health, Social Support, Evidence-Based Medicine
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