Improving mental health and psychosocial wellbeing in humanitarian settings: reflections on research funded through R2HC.

Journal: Conflict and health

Volume: 14

Issue: 1

Year of Publication: 

Affiliated Institutions:  Section of Global Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade , bg , DK-, Copenhagen, Denmark. wietse.tol@sund.ku.dk. Institute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK. Mental Health, Child Care Practices, Gender and Protection, Action Contre La Faim, Paris, France. School of Psychology & Traumatic Stress Clinic, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. National Mental Health Programme, Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon. Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. Human Development Research Foundation, Islamabad, Pakistan. Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CA, USA. Center for Mental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda. HealthRight Uganda, Arua, Uganda. Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, London, UK. International Medical Relief Services (IMRES), Prior association: Arq International, Europe, Netherlands. Evidence Building, World Vision International, Geneva, Switzerland. Institute of Behavioral Science and Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Boulder, Denver, USA. Global and Community Mental Health Research Group, New York University (Shanghai), Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. Elhra, London, UK.

Abstract summary 

Major knowledge gaps remain concerning the most effective ways to address mental health and psychosocial needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises. The Research for Health in Humanitarian Crisis (R2HC) program aims to strengthen humanitarian health practice and policy through research. As a significant portion of R2HC's research has focused on mental health and psychosocial support interventions, the program has been interested in strengthening a community of practice in this field. Following a meeting between grantees, we set out to provide an overview of the R2HC portfolio, and draw lessons learned. In this paper, we discuss the mental health and psychosocial support-focused research projects funded by R2HC; review the implications of initial findings from this research portfolio; and highlight four remaining knowledge gaps in this field. Between 2014 and 2019, R2HC funded 18 academic-practitioner partnerships focused on mental health and psychosocial support, comprising 38% of the overall portfolio (18 of 48 projects) at a value of approximately 7.2 million GBP. All projects have focused on evaluating the impact of interventions. In line with consensus-based recommendations to consider a wide range of mental health and psychosocial needs in humanitarian settings, research projects have evaluated diverse interventions. Findings so far have both challenged and confirmed widely-held assumptions about the effectiveness of mental health and psychosocial interventions in humanitarian settings. They point to the importance of building effective, sustained, and diverse partnerships between scholars, humanitarian practitioners, and funders, to ensure long-term program improvements and appropriate evidence-informed decision making. Further research needs to fill knowledge gaps regarding how to: scale-up interventions that have been found to be effective (e.g., questions related to integration across sectors, adaptation of interventions across different contexts, and optimal care systems); address neglected mental health conditions and populations (e.g., elderly, people with disabilities, sexual minorities, people with severe, pre-existing mental disorders); build on available local resources and supports (e.g., how to build on traditional, religious healing and community-wide social support practices); and ensure equity, quality, fidelity, and sustainability for interventions in real-world contexts (e.g., answering questions about how interventions from controlled studies can be transferred to more representative humanitarian contexts).

Authors & Co-authors:  Tol Wietse A WA Ager Alastair A Bizouerne Cecile C Bryant Richard R El Chammay Rabih R Colebunders Robert R García-Moreno Claudia C Hamdani Syed Usman SU James Leah E LE Jansen Stefan C J SCJ Leku Marx R MR Likindikoki Samuel S Panter-Brick Catherine C Pluess Michael M Robinson Courtland C Ruttenberg Leontien L Savage Kevin K Welton-Mitchell Courtney C Hall Brian J BJ Harper Shehadeh Melissa M Harmer Anne A van Ommeren Mark M

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  Ventevogel P, van Ommeren M, Schilperoord M, Saxena S. Improving mental health care in humanitarian emergencies. Bull World Health Organ. 2015;93(10):666–666A. doi: 10.2471/BLT.15.156919.
Authors :  22
Identifiers
Doi : 71
SSN : 1752-1505
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Other Terms
Study Design
Study Approach
Country of Study
Publication Country
England