Mental Health and Psychosocial Support During the COVID-19 Response : An Overview

This new volume presents a holistic scenario of the challenges of providing mental health and psychosocial support to areas around the world with the most vulnerable populations during the tragic COVID-19 pandemic. The book synthesizes over 350 interviews with mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) professionals on the ground in countries around the world, discussing the lack of services and providing strategies for implementing mental health and psychosocial support in such situations going forward. The book is a first look at MHPSS during the COVID-19 pandemic with the hope that it will inspire and generate action for future worldwide mental health and psychosocial support responses. This essential book is a call to action for cultural, linguistic, and contextual actions that addresses inclusiveness of the most vulnerable and unheard communities and that re-establishes resilience through mental health and psychosocial community-led programs. The volume is an analysis by a seasoned humanitarian worker with over 30 years of direct experience with the most vulnerable communities, with contributions from several colleagues. They help frame COVID-19 as a systemic loss of protective factors, where communities collapsed psychologically, socially, and economically. Discusses the challenges of providing mental health and psychosocial support to areas with vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. It synthesizes over 350 interviews with professionals on the ground in 27 countries, discussing the lack of services and providing strategies for implementing support in situations going forward. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 About the Editor 6 Table of Contents 8 Contributors 10 Abbreviations 12 In Memoriam 14 Acknowledgment 16 Foreword 18 Preface 20 Part I: Background of MHPSS 24 1. Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support as a Tool to Address the Societal Needs Raised by COVID-19 26 2. Activating Community Resilience Through Community Capitals After COVID-19 38 3. Community Engagement in Times of COVID-19 46 Part II: Assessment of the Needs of the Most Vulnerable Population 50 4. Community Engagement During COVID-19 and Beyond 52 5. Community-Based Psychosocial Support: A Process for the Protection of Vulnerable Populations During COVID-19 70 6. Serving the Most Vulnerable: Psychosocial Support in Indigenous Communities in Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru 98 7. Psychological Support Migration Appeal to the Internationa lFederation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in the Americas Region 118 8. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Three African Countries: Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone 142 9. Addressing Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Needs in Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda 162 Part III: Implementing Mental Health and Psychosocial Support 184 10. An Examination of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Four Low-Income Countries in South Asia 186 11. Developing a Universal Model of an MHPSS Regional Response 208 12. Chronology of MHPSS Interventions in the Americas During the Immediate and Early Recovery 228 13. Country-Level Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Programs: Moving Forward After COVID-19 262 14. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support During and After the Pandemic: A Practical Response 290 15. Monitoring and Evaluation of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support 298 Index 320 Mental,Health;,Psychotherapy Mental Health,Psychotherapy "This new volume presents a holistic scenario of the challenges of providing mental health and psychosocial support to areas around the world with the most vulnerable populations during the tragic COVID-19 pandemic. The book synthesizes over 350 interviews with mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) professionals on the ground in 27 countries in three regions of the world, discussing the lack of services and providing strategies for implementing mental health and psychosocial support in such situations going forward. The book is a first look at MHPSS during the COVID-19 pandemic with the hope that it will inspire and generate action for future worldwide mental health and psychosocial support responses. Divided into three sections, the volume first addresses existing guidance for MHPSS from the viewpoint of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, considering resilience as an individual and collective activity, and looks at how to engage communities in the time of COVID-19. The second part of the book consists of chapters that takes the reader through the experiences of selected countries in three regions: Central and South America, Western and Sub-Saharan Africa, and four countries in Southeastern Asia. The third section presents a theoretical and practical model for the implementation of MHPSS as part of a humanitarian response at the regional level. This essential book is a call to action for cultural, linguistic, and contextual actions that inform inclusiveness of the most vulnerable and unheard communities and that re-establish resilience through mental health and psychosocial community-led programs. The volume is the analysis by a seasoned humanitarian worker with over 30 years of direct experience with the most vulnerable communities, with contributions from his colleagues. They help frame COVID-19 as a systemic loss of protective factors, where communities collapsed psychologically, socially, and economically. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support during the COVID-19 Response: An Overview is an essential read for both mental health and psychosocial support professionals, as well as for disaster and crisis leaders, practitioners, and policymakers."-- Provided by publisher