Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

Low resource contexts facing complex humanitarian crises produce acutely vulnerable populations, including victims of torture. There is an urgent need for evidence-informed action to improve access to mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS). Through learning network development and implementation research, we strengthen the evidence base and partnered action for more effective MHPSS interventions policy and programs.

Two Happy girls holding each other.

Our Approach

Learning Collaborative

The MHPSS Learning Collaborative is a global network of stakeholders working to enhance evidence-informed implementation of MHPSS solutions in low-resource settings. The network fosters learning exchange, collaboration on evidence generation and application, and informs uptake of community-level MHPSS interventions through strategic partnership.

This video provides an overview of the ISC MHPSS Learning Collaborative’s work processes, membership, accomplishments, and projects around the world.

Knowledge Hubs & News

Community-Based Approaches

With support from USAID’s HEARD project, we are informing community-based mental health (CBMH) efforts through two complementary activities: (1) a global landscape analysis of relevant CBMH interventions and policies, and (2) support to rapid implementation studies of ongoing CBMH interventions. Collectively, the geographic focus spans Latin America, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and touches on parts of the Middle East region.  ISC anchor partners together with an expanding network of new partners are at the helm and bolstered by the MHPSS Learning Collaborative.

What do we want to learn? From the Landscape Analysis we will explore promising/innovative community-based approaches/interventions being implemented to address mental health across the life course; identify the actors in this space; and how the policy and strategy environment supports mental health investment and action. The handful of studies awarded through the previous RFA solicitation will investigate specific interventions currently being implemented and address questions about how they are improving mental health outcomes (e.g. service access, clinical outcomes); and consider how these interventions rate on key implementation factors (e.g. acceptability, scalability, sustainability, adaptability).

Psychosocial Support Studies

Resources