In this page you can find (for use, reference or further distribution) a set of materials on Mental Health and Psycological Support aspects of COVID 19
MHPSS GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS:
- WHO – briefing note
- MHPSS Inter Agency Standing Commitee Briefing Note ENG ITA
- WHO/UNICEF/IRC briefing addressing stigma: https://www.who.int/teams/risk-communication
WHO INFOGRAPHICS AND q&a SESSION:
- Coping with stress during COVID-19
- For children during COVID-19
- Q&A session with expert WHO HQ staff member on MHPSS aspects of COVID-19
WHO GUIDANCE FOR PROVISION OF PSICHOSOCIAL SUPPORT AND MENTALHEALTH CARE
- Psychological first aid: https://www.who.int/mental_health/publications/guide_field_workers/en/
- mhGAP Humanitarian Intervention Guide https://www.who.int/mental_health/publications/mhgap_hig/en/
#healtyathome
- This is a new campaign launched by the Director-General of WHO and one of the four areas is mental health: https://www.who.int/news-room/campaigns/connecting-the-world-to-combat-coronavirus/healthyathome/healthyathome—mental-health
WHO CALL FOR STORIES
- the purpose of this exercise is to use the experiences of people on the front line to share information that can support others engaged in similar work. The Mental Health Innovation Network, in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use at the World Health Organization, is calling for submissions of global experiences of mental health and social care providers involved in mental health support and restructuring of services during the COVID-19 outbreak: https://www.mhinnovation.net/blog/2020/mar/27/call-stories-we-want-hear-your-experiences-delivering-mental-health-support-during
May 15th – UNITED NATIONS GENERAL’S POLICY BRIEF “COVID-19 AND THE NEED FOR ACTION ON MENTAL HEALTH – PDF DOCUMENT
- Video addressed by UN Secretary General : click here
- Video address by WHO Director General: click here
- UN press release : click here
- WHO press release : click here
- WHO tweets :
- https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1260916164143783937?s=20
- https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1260902802957664258?s=20
- https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1260898296094171136?s=20
Key messages:
The problem:
- COVID-19 has the seeds of a major mental health crisis
- The mental health and wellbeing of whole societies have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are a priority to be addressed urgently.
- A long-term upsurge in the number and severity of mental health problems is likely
- Specific populations groups are likely to show high degrees of COVID-19-related psychological distress
- People caught in fragile humanitarian and conflict settings risk having their mental health needs overlooked entirely
- Because of the size of the problem, the vast majority of mental health needs remain unaddressed. The response is hampered by the lack of investment in mental health promotion, prevention and care before the pandemic.
Strategic shift:
- The historic underinvestment in mental health needs to be redressed without delay to reduce immense suffering among hundreds of millions of people and mitigate long-term social and economic costs to society
Public policy solution:
- Apply a whole-of-society approach to promote, protect and care for mental health
- Ensure widespread availability of emergency mental health and psychosocial support
- Support recovery from COVID-19 by building mental health services for the future
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