scholarly journals Conducting research on building psychosocial support for Syrian refugee families in a humanitarian emergency

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stevan Merill Weine ◽  
Aliriza Arënliu ◽  
Vahdet Görmez ◽  
Scott Lagenecker ◽  
Hakan Demirtas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Emergency Setting ◽  
Task Sharing ◽  
Humanitarian Emergency ◽  
Refugee Families ◽  
Conducting Research

AbstractBackgroundThis case study describes research, which is located in Turkey, where more than 750,000 Syrian refugees reside autonomously in Istanbul. The research developed and pilot tested a novel model for helping urban refugee families with limited to no access to evidence-based mental health services, by delivering a transdiagnostic family intervention for common mental disorders in health and non-health sector settings using a task-sharing approach. This case study addresses the following question: What challenges were encountered in developing and piloting a low intensity trans-diagnostic family support intervention in a humanitarian emergency setting?DiscussionThe rapidly growing scale of humanitarian crises requires new response capabilities geared towards addressing populations with prolonged high vulnerability to mental health consequences and limited to no access to mental health, health, and social resources.The research team faced multiple challenges in conducting this research in a humanitarian emergency setting including: 1) Non-existent or weak partnerships geared towards mental health research in a humanitarian emergency; 2) Lack of familiarity with task-sharing; 3).Insufficient language and cultural competency; 3) Fit with families’ values and demands; 4) Hardships of urban refugees. Through the research process, the research team learned lessons concerning: 1) building a coalition of academic and humanitarian organization partners; 2) investing in the research capacity building of local researchers and partners; 3) working in a community-collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach.ConclusionConducting research in humanitarian emergency settings calls for innovative collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to understanding and addressing many sociocultural, contextual, practical and scientific challenge.

scholarly journals Building low intensity psychosocial support for Syrian refuge families in Istanbul

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stevan Merrill Weine ◽  
Aliriza Arenliu ◽  
Vahdet Görmez ◽  
Scott Langenecker ◽  
Hakan Demirtas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Family Intervention ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Task Sharing ◽  
Research Capacity Building ◽  
Humanitarian Emergency ◽  
Low Intensity

Abstract Background: The study is located in Istanbul, Turkey, where more than 750,000 Syrian refugees reside, largely in urban settings. It develops and pilot tests a novel model for helping urban refugee families in settings with limited to no access to evidence-based mental health services for refugees, by delivering a transdiagnostic family intervention for common mental disorders in health and non-health sector settings using a task-sharing approach. This case study addresses the following question: How can we address the common mental disorders of both children and parents, and support protective family resilience processes, through a low intensity trans-diagnostic family support intervention? Discussion: The rapidly growing scale of humanitarian crises requires new response capabilities geared towards addressing populations with prolonged high vulnerability to mental health consequences and limited to no access to mental health, health, and social resources. We faced multiple challenges in conducting this research including: 1) identifying local academic partners with research capacity, including in implementation science; 2) lack of culture of partnership between academics and humanitarian organizations; 3) getting local clinicians to embrace on a task-sharing model; 4) cultural competency of local and U.S. partners for refugee population; 5) getting local academics to focus on humanitarian emergency; 6) planning for a family intervention that would work with families with rigid gender role perspectives; 7) multiple social and economic problems that could not be solved, such as children working; 8) engagement challenges due to high demands on families. Through the research process, the research team learned lessons concerning: 1) building a coalition of academic and humanitarian organization partners; 2) investing in research capacity building of local partners; 3) working in a community-collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach to best understand and address socio-cultural, contextual, practical and scientific challenges needed to develop and implement the new family support model. Conclusion: Conducting research in humanitarian emergency settings calls for significant attention to building a coalition of academic and humanitarian organization partners, investing in research capacity building of local partners, and working in a community-collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach.

How to conduct a mental health and psychosocial support situational analysis in a refugee-based emergency context: a case study example from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Intervention ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Harrison ◽  
Alex Ssimbwa ◽  
Mohamed Elshazly ◽  
Mahmuda Mahmuda ◽  
OlgaAlexandra Rebolledo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Situational Analysis

scholarly journals Implementing mhGAP training to strengthen existing services for an internally displaced population in Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Humayun ◽  
I. Haq ◽  
F. R. Khan ◽  
N. Azad ◽  
M. M. Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Humanitarian Crisis ◽  
Internally Displaced ◽  
Primary Care Staff

Background.In 2014, over a million people were internally displaced after the launch of a military operation in North Waziristan, a tribal region on Pakistan's side of the Durand Line. Despite security concerns and restrictions, a collaborative mental health and psychosocial support initiative was undertaken in the district of Bannu. Monthly mental health camps were conducted for a period of 6 months by a multidisciplinary mental health team. The initiative also helped to assess mental health needs and plan training for primary care staff to strengthen existing resources.Methods.As part of this initiative, Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) training was conducted for physicians and psychosocial staff in the affected district. This marked the first instance of implementing these guidelines in Pakistan following a humanitarian crisis. This paper describes the training process including the adaptation of the mhGAP curriculum, training of trainers, training workshops for primary care staff and an analysis of results of pre- and post-testing of their knowledge about common mental disorders using a 25-item questionnaire.Results.The gaps in knowledge of primary care physicians in recognizing and managing common mental disorders were clearly identified. The mean pre- and post-test scores of the participants were 15.43, 62% (p value 0.000, s.d. 4.05) and 19.48, 78% (p value 0.000, s.d. 3.13) respectively, which showed significant improvement.Conclusions.Despite the challenges of a humanitarian crisis, mhGAP guidelines can be successfully implemented to train primary care physicians in in low- and middle-income countries such as Pakistan. However, the dearth of primary care resources can hinder the complete integration of mental health services into primary healthcare.

Community mobilization after an earthquake: case study of the use of the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings on mental health and psychosocial support in Peru

Intervention ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miryam Rivera ◽  
Pau Pérez-Sales ◽  
José Luis Aparcana ◽  
Mariella Bazán ◽  
Camilla Gianella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Community Mobilization

scholarly journals Improving Access to Mental Health Care and Psychosocial Support within a Fragile Context: A Case Study from Afghanistan

PLoS Medicine ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e1001225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Ventevogel ◽  
Willem van de Put ◽  
Hafizullah Faiz ◽  
Bibiane van Mierlo ◽  
Majeed Siddiqi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Psychosocial Support

scholarly journals Innovations in Addressing Mental Health Needs in Humanitarian Settings: A Complexity Informed Action Research Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Parrish-Sprowl ◽  
John Parrish-Sprowl ◽  
Samia Alajlouni
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Humanitarian Settings

Addressing mental health challenges in humanitarian settings, where needs are many and resources are scarce, requires innovative solutions. In this manuscript, we describe a quantum complexity informed intervention, Communication for Whole Health (CWH), developed at the request of a large Jordanian healthcare NGO to address mental health needs of patients and staff. In the humanitarian aid context, this health domain is referred to by the acronym MHPSS (mental health and psychosocial support). The focus of this participatory action research project, presented here as a case study, was the collaborative elaboration of an MHPSS intervention in an urban primary healthcare clinic serving mostly Syrian refugees. The intervention capitalizes on the synergistic effects generated from the systemic nature of communication where every interaction is an intervention, and the health implications of research demonstrating communication is bioactive. Rather than treating mental health as an add-on medical specialty targeting patients with “psychiatric disorders,” systemic MHPSS starts from the premise that everyone has mental health, which is inextricably linked to physical and social health. Emphasis is on integrating awareness of mental health as part of whole health and taking advantage of every interaction to facilitate well-being for patients and staff. The intervention facilitated the transformation of the communication ecology of the clinic from a culture of reactivity to a culture of receptivity by strengthening communication resources and practices. Staff reported feeling more empowered to help patients and displayed increased motivation to find innovative ways to use available resources. They felt better equipped to manage their own stress response and support coworkers. Patients learned basic stress management skills, helping them better manage chronic health conditions, and reported sharing this information with family members. Staff reported many examples of patients responding positively to interventions to reduce patient reactivity, leading to beneficial behavior change and improved health outcomes. Results suggest a systemic MHPSS approach can contribute to ameliorating health inequities by expanding resources for patients and staff, empowering them to act into their current circumstances to support whole health. The CWH approach has potential in similar contexts to address mental health needs in a cost-effective and impactful way.

scholarly journals Moving beyond a ‘one-size-fits-all’ rationale in global mental health: prospects of a precision psychology paradigm

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Purgato ◽  
Rakesh Singh ◽  
Ceren Acarturk ◽  
Pim Cuijpers
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Social

Abstract Research on the effectiveness of mental health and psychosocial support interventions for common mental disorders in global mental health provides controversial results. These results are based on mean values for different groups, often without due consideration of individual-level characteristics and contextual factors. Against this background, and based on the recent development of a precision theoretical framework in clinical psychology, which is calling for a renewed perspective on the development and implementation of trial designs, we propose to develop a precision psychology paradigm in global mental health, with emphasis not only on individual clinical and socio-demographic data, but also on the social determinants of mental health. A precision psychology paradigm would require a coordinated action of academics, stakeholders and humanitarian workers in planning a global mental health research agenda, including the design of trials aimed at reliably approximate prediction of intervention response at individual level.

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